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•t  B-t 

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v.¥  OF  MONGOLIA 


■"ON  ROBERTS 


//.  2.  ,‘oif. 


ftt  Shtologia/  * 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


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Purchased  by  the  Hamill  Missionary  Fund. 


Division 


DS793 
. MTR6 


Section 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/flightforlifeandOOrobe 


Missionary  Caravan  on  the  March  (Nearing  Kiachta) 


A Flight  for  Life 


AND 


AN  INSIDE  VIEW  OF  MONGOLIA 


JAMES  HUDSON  ROBERTS 


Missionary  of  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for 
Foreign  Missions 


Boston 

Zhc  pilgrim  press 


Chicago 


Copyright,  1903, 

By  James  Hudson  Roberts 


Press  of  J.  J.  Arakelyan, 
29,  Congress  St., 
Boston. 


CONTENTS 


Chapter 

I 

The  Boxers 

Page 

7 

II 

How  the  Delusion  Spread 

14 

III 

The  Calm  before  the  Storm  . 

19 

IV 

T’ungcho  and  Kalgan  in  Danger 

25 

V 

Peking  just  before  the  Siege  . 

3i 

VI 

To  Kalgan  by  the  Great  Wall 

37 

VII 

Taking  Refuge  in  the  Yamen  . 

42 

VIII 

Through  the  Great  Wall  into  Mongolia 

48 

IX 

First  Sights  in  a Strange  Land  . 

57 

X 

How  the  Mongols  Live 

67 

XI 

More  of  their  Customs 

81 

XII 

Preparing  the  Caravan 

98 

XIII 

Two  Risky  Trips 

no 

XIV 

A Lost  Camel  and  the  Result  . 

121 

XV 

Into  the  Desert  of  Gobi  . 

126 

XVI 

To  Oude,  the  Heart  of  the  Desert  . 

140 

XVII 

Good  Grass  and  “Welcome  Camp”  . 

156 

XVIII 

To  the  City  of  the  Living  Buddha  . 

170 

XIX 

The  Religion  of  the  Mongols  . 

186 

XX 

The  Mongolian  Language  . 

204 

Contents 


Chapter  Page 

XXI  The  Rise  of  the  Mongol  Empire  . . 214 

XXII  Kublai  Khan  and  his  Successors  . . 225 

XXIII  A Country  Without  a Seaport  . . . 235 

XXIV  In  the  “House  Beautiful/' — the  Con- 

sulate at  Urga 243 

XXV  Over  the  Altais  and  Far  Away  . . 260 

XXVI  First  Experiences  in  Kiachta  . . . 269 

XXVII  Crossing  the  Frontier  ....  279 
XXVIII  In  Siberia,  the  Land  of  Freedom  . . 285 

XXIX  “Bonnie” 295 

XXX  By  Tarantass  to  Irkutsk  ....  299 
XXXI  Over  the  Siberian  Railway  . . . 308 

XXXII  A People  Much  Misunderstood  . . .315 

XXXIII  Farewell 32  4 

Appendix  A,  Additional  Notes  and  Items  . . 335 

“ B,  The  Martyrs  Near  the  Great  Wall  . 340 
“ C,  A Boxer  Prayer  from  Yucho  . . 349 

D,  Mongolia  Before  the  Mongols  . . 351 

“ E,  The  Itinerary  of  the  Flight  . . 353 

Glossary  F 359 

Index  G 395 


CHAPTER  I 


THE  BOXERS 

“I  Ho  Ch’iian  tao  T’ien  Ching, 

Sha  chin  kuei-tzu,  pao  Ta  Ch’ing. 

Shang  yu  T’ai  Hou,  hsia  yu  Jung, 

Yii  Yii  tu  shih  tsa  chia  ping. 

San  yiieh  ch’u  i ch’i  hsia  shou ; 

Sha  wan  T’ien  Ching,  shang  Pei  Ching. 

Ta  hsiao  kuan  yuan  shih  chieh  ying; 

Shui  hai  p’a,  k’uai  t’ao  ming. 

“The  Boxers  have  come  to  Tientsin,  to  kill  all  the 
foreign  devils,  and  protect  the  Manchu  dynasty. 
Above,  there  is  the  Empress  Dowager  on  our  side, 
and  below,  there  is  Jung  Lu.  The  soldiers  of  Yii 
Lu  and  Yii  Hsien  are  all  our  own  men. 

“On  the  first  day  of  the  third,  month  we  shall  all 
begin  together.  When  we  have  finished  killing  in 
Tientsin,  we  shall  go  to  Peking.  All  the  high  and 
low  officials  will  welcome  us  cordially.  Whoever  is 
afraid,  let  him  quickly  escape  for  his  life.” 

The  above  placard  was  widely  published  and 
learned  by  the  Chinese,  the  most  illiterate  being 
able  to  memorize  the  jingling  rhyme.  A copy  of 

7 


8 


A Flight  For  Life 


it  was  thrown  into  the  London  Mission  Chapel  by 
some  friendly  person,  who  knew  the  plans  of  the 
Boxers.  The  day  set  for  the  uprising  was  March 
3°,  1900. 

The  seizing  of  several  ports  by  the  Powers  in  the 
spring  of  1898,  and  especially  the  taking  of  Kiao 
Chou  by  the  Germans,  greatly  increased  the  hostil- 
ity to  foreigners,  which  had  long  existed.  Two 
Jesuit  missionaries,  who  had  been  expelled  from 
Germany  for  some  misdeeds,  went,  perhaps  with 
sincere  intentions,  to  the  district  of  Ts’ao  Chou  Fu, 
in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  province  of  Shan- 
tung. That  region  long  had  been  noted  for  the 
fierceness  of  its  people,  and  these  missionaries  lost 
their  lives.  The  German  government  might  have 
ignored  the  case,  but  chose  instead  to  make  it  the 
pretext  for  taking  a valuable  port.  Since  then  it 
has  asserted  that  even,  Shansi  is  a part  of  its  “hin- 
terland.” 

The  Boxer  society  has  existed  from  the  year 
1808,  and  has  made  an  insurrection  once  in  each 
generation.  The  name,  I Ho  Ch’iian,  means  “The 
Righteous  and  Harmonious  Fist,”  or  “The  Fist  of 
Public  Harmony.”  This  society  and  its  work  are 
the  answer  of  China  to  the  “mailed  fist”  of  Em- 
peror William. 


The  Boxers 


9 


The  Japanese  war,  and  the  seizure  of  the  ports, 
awakened  the  emperor  to  the  need  of  reforming 
the  government,  but  the  coup  d’etat  of  the  empress 
dowager  not  only  reversed  his  decrees,  but  also 
gave  boldness  to  the  enemies  of  foreigners.  As 
long  ago  as  the  autumn  of  1898,  a day  was  set  for 
killing  the  Swedish  missionaries  at  Hsiian  Hua  Fu. 
In  the  following  winter,  the  Boxers  persecuted  the 
native  Christians  in  the  western  part  of  Shantung. 
At  the  remonstrances  of  the  missionaries,  the  offi- 
cials of  several  cities  dealt  severely  with  the  Boxers, 
after  which  these  officials  were  fined  and  punished 
by  the  governor  of  Shantung,  the  notorious  Yii 
Hsien.  He  would  hardly  have  ventured  upon  such 
a course  of  glaring  injustice  without  express  per- 
mission from  the  throne.  In  the  summer  of  1899, 
the  Boxers  were  comparatively  quiet,  for  the  farm- 
ing population  was  busy  with  the  work  in  the  fields, 
and  could  hardly  take  time  to  engage  in  acts  of 
lawlessness,  as  they  could  in  the  cold  weather.  In 
the  winter  of  1899-1900,  many  homes  of  Christians 
were  looted  and  burned,  and  not  a few  chapels 
were  destroyed. 

The  missionaries  in  western  Shantung  and  south- 
ern Chihli  wrote  full  accounts  of  these  troubles  to 
the  British  and  American  consuls  in  Tientsin,  and 


10 


A Flight  For  Life 


to  the  ministers  in  Peking.  At  times,  the  high 
Chinese  officials  would  deny  that  there  were  any 
Boxers,  and  even  require  affidavits  to  that  effect  to 
be  sent  up  by  the  magistrates  of  the  disturbed  dis- 
tricts. At  other  times  the  government,  acknowl- 
edging that  there  were  Boxers,  issued  edicts  ap- 
parently designed  to  suppress  them,  guaranteeing 
protection  to  missionaries,  native  Christians  and 
foreign  merchants.  At  the  same  time,  secret  edicts 
were  issued,  of  the  opposite  purport.  The  natives 
readily  understood  which  they  were  to  respect.  By 
this  double-dealing,  the  empress  dowager  was  un- 
dermining her  own  throne.  On  the  strength  of  the 
edicts,  proclamations  were  issued,  but  no  sooner 
were  they  posted  on  houses  and  walls,  than  they 
were  stripped  to  pieces  by  the  people,  who  had 
learned  that  the  government  would  not  protect 
foreigners.  The  Boxers  came  northward  to  the 
region  of  Paotingdu  and  Tientsin,  and  it  was  dan- 
gerous to  travel  on  the  country  roads  around  Tient- 
sin after  December  20,  1899. 

The  fourteenth  of  February  and  the  thirtieth  of 
March,  1900,  were  days  set  by  the  Boxers  for  at- 
tacking Tientsin.  Friendly  Chinese  having  in- 
formed the  missionaries,  they  notified  the  consuls, 
and  an  appeal  by  them  to  the  viceroy  led  to  the 


The  Boxers 


II 


posting  of  a good  proclamation.  In  this  it  was 
stated,  that  “Christians  and  heathen  are  alike  the 
little  children  of  the  government ; that  to  collect 
crowds,  carry  weapons,  burn  or  destroy  houses, 
steal  goods,  steal  or  injure  people,  or  oppose  offi- 
cial troops,  are  like  acts  of  highway  robbery ; that 
to  found  private  societies,  and  practice  with  fists 
and  clubs  are  infractions  of  the  law,  not  to  be  toler- 
ated ; that  heathen  and  Christians  should  acknowl- 
edge their  community  of  interests ; and  that  offi- 
cials, in  deciding  lawsuits,  must  not  distinguish 
between  the  people  and  the  Church,  but  only  be- 
tween the  crooked  and  the  straight.”  It  adds,  as  a 
conciliation  to  the  Boxers,  that  “church  members 
must  not  stir  up  quarrels,  deride  the  heathen,  nor 
blindly  follow  the  missionaries,  so  as  to  win  victo- 
ries through  their  protection.”  It  ended  with  a 
good  exhortation  to  both  parties  to  obey  the  law 
and  lay  aside  their  enmities,  so  that  there  might  be 
peace. 

This  proclamation  was  posted  outside  the  wall  of 
the  American  Board  Mission  in  Tientsin,  was  read 
by  many,  and  copied  by  a teacher  in  our  employ, 
and  soon  afterward  was  torn  in  pieces.  The  time 
had  come  when  the  Chinese  despised  treaties, 
edicts,  proclamations  and  passports,  if  issued  to 


12 


A Flight  For  Life 


protect  foreigners.  They  regarded  the  treaties  as 
having  been  forced  on  them  by  outside  barbarians, 
signed  under  compulsion,  and  not  binding  on  their 
consciences.  All  foreigners  were  believed  to  be 
enemies,  and  therefore,  according  to  Asiatic  ideals, 
to  have  no  rights.  A craze  for  killing  them  had 
taken  possession  of  the  people. 

This,  however,  was  not  without  cause.  Let  us 
imagine  ourselves  in  their  places : — our  ports  taken 
by  foreign  nations ; our  manufactures,  trade  and 
public  finances  almost  wrecked  by  foreign  trade 
and  by  a low  tariff  imposed  by  foreigners,  with  a 
view  to  their  own  advantage ; and  our  country 
threatened  with  dismemberment ; — we  would  have 
been  angry,  as  they  were,  and  ready  to  fight  the 
world.  Only  we  would  have  regarded  the  rights 
of  women,  children  and  non-combatants,  and  would 
not  have  tortured  nor  massacred  innocent  people. 

One  night  in  the  spring  of  1900,  the  building  of 
the  Tientsin  Trading  Company,  a large  department 
store,  was  burned.  The  fire  was  a glorious  sight, 
but  the  wind  and  falling  sparks  endangered  many 
neighboring  houses.  The  cause  never  was  ascer- 
tained. The  building  and  goods  had  been  insured 
for  more  than  their  full  value,  as  was  the  case  two 
or  three  years  before,  when  the  same  company’s 


The  Boxers 


13 


stare  was  burned.  Some  spoke  of  the  fire  as  a 
grand  clearance  sale.  Others  feared  that  the 
Boxers  had  begun  an  incendiary  work.  The 
strained  relations  between  foreigners  and  Chinese 
compelled  the  former  to  be  on  their  guard.  Many 
carried  firearms,  and  prepared  for  emergencies. 
The  Tientsin  Volunteer  Corps  patrolled  the  streets 
at  night.  It  was  planned  that,  in  case  of  an  attack, 
the  foreigners  should  take  refuge  in  the  consulates. 
To  those  living  nearest  the  Chinese  city,  the 
French  consulate  would  be  most  accessible  ; but  the 
Americans,  if  time  should  permit,  were  to  gather  in 
the  British  consulate ; for  the  American  consulate 
was  too  far  out  of  the  settlement  to  be  defensible. 
In  worse  contingencies,  the  ladies  and  children  were 
to  be  protected  in  Gordon  Hall,  as  a safer  place 
than  the  British  consulate. 


CHAPTER  II 


HOW  THE  DELUSION  SPREAD 

“Let  ail  the  Protestant  Chapels  know,  that  we  limit  you 
to  one  week’s  time,  in  which  you  must  all  change  your 
signs  (or  names)  to  Chapels  of  the  Great  Genii,  or  else 
vacate  your  places.  If  any  should  not  obey,  we  shall  pull 
them  down,  or  burn  them  with  fire,  so  as  to  leave  nothing 
but  their  empty  places, — lest  any  one  regret  it.  The  Box- 
ers of  all  under  heaven  together  write  this. 

“Second  month,  nineteenth  day.” 

This  placard  displayed  increasing  audacity.  The 
Boxers  were  steadily  preparing  to  carry  out  their 
threats. 

There  were  said  to  be  nineteen  words,  which, 
when  learned,  gave  the  Boxers  great  power.  Two  or 
three  of  these  words  were  learned  by  the  boys  on 
the  streets ; eight  of  them  would  enable  one  Chinese 
to  overcome  ten  foreigners;  and  any  one  who  could 
pronounce  seventeen  words,  could  pull  down  a 
foreigner’s  house  as  easily  as  he  could  overturn  a 
box  of  tea.  In  the  looting  of  Tientsin,  each  valiant 
Boxer  would  be  rewarded  with  all  the  contents  of 
a foreigner’s  house.  This  would  be  a great  prize 
for  a poor  Chinaman. 


14 


Hoiv  the  Delusion  Spread 


15 


The  claim  of  the  Boxers  to  be  invulnerable  was 
sometimes  put  to  the  test.  One  man,  who  said  that 
weapons  could  not  harm  him,  was  ordered  to  lay 
his  arm  on  the  table.  Then  the  magistrate  told 
a man  to  chop  it  with  a hatchet.  He  did  so,  and 
sent  the  edge  in  to  the  bone.  The  Boxer  looked 
up  to  the  mandarin,  and  said : “I  had  not  enough 
faith.”  Another  agreed  with  a governor  that  he 
would  allow  himself  to  be  shot  at  forty  times,  on 
condition  that,  if  not  wounded,  he  might  have  the 
governor’s  rank  and  office.  The  third  shot  killed 
him.  As  many  Boxers  were  shot  in  their  backs, 
the  theory  was  propounded  that  they  were  invul- 
nerable in  their  breasts  but  not  in  their  backs. 

iWhile  these  things  were  in  the  minds  of  all,  a 
grand  funeral  occurred, — that  of  the  mother  of 
Chang  Yen  Mao.  This  man  had  been  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Seventh  Prince,  the  father  of  the 
emperor,  and  having  acquired  wealth,  made  the 
death  of  his  mother  an  occasion  for  great  display. 
In  providing  for  the  funeral,  he  spent  thirty-five 
thousand  dollars  of  his  own,  and  seventy  thousand 
dollars  contributed  by  his  friends.  There  were 
many  gorgeous  banners  and  large  umbrellas  of 
colored  silk,  to  be  carried  in  the  procession ; there 
were  horses,  carriages,  houses,  men  and  women, 


i6 


A Flight  For  Life 


all  made  of  paper,  to  be  carried  and  burned  at  the 
grave, — so  that  these,  having  been  burned,  might 
become  horses,  carriages,  houses  and  servants  in 
the  spirit  world,  for  the  benefit  of  the  departed 
mother.  Many  tables  of  fruit,  apparently  real,  but 
made  of  paper ; large  jewels  of  paper,  as  costly  as 
the  real  articles ; numerous  paper  bouquets ; um- 
brellas made  of  sticks  of  incense ; and  other  curi- 
ous and  expensive  objects,  all  to  be  burned,  were 
carried  in  the  procession.  Among  them  were 
elaborate  provisions  of  real  food  for  the  deceased, 
and  a plentiful  supply  of  paper  money  to  be 
thrown  out  on  the  road,  so  that  the  devils,  instead 
of  following  the  funeral,  would  stop  to  pick  up  the 
money,  and  so  be  left  behind.  Many  people  visited 
the  house  to  see  the  preparations.  When  the  pro- 
cession moved  toward  the  native  city,  on  its  way  to 
the  family  graveyard  near  T’ungcho,  the  array  of 
valuable  offerings  was  about  two  miles  in  length ; 
and  in  the  midst  of  it,  strange  to  say,  there  were 
half  a score  of  foreign  gentlemen,  going  on  foot,  to 
show  their  friendship  for  Mr.  Chang.  The  streets 
were  crowded  full  of  the  Chinese,  while  foreigners 
looked  on  from  windows  and  roofs  along  the  road. 
Considering  the  excited  state  of  the  public  mind, 
a riot  was  much  to  be  apprehended.  As  the  after- 


Hozi>  the  Delusion  Spread 


17 


noon  wore  away,  and  there  was  no  disturbance,  the 
hearts  of  the  foreign  community  were  much  re- 
lieved. 

On  all  sides  of  the  city,  the  Boxers  were  practic- 
ing with  swords  and  spears.  Boxer  teachers,  re- 
ceiving high  wages,  would  hypnotize  a company  of 
boys  and  men,  who  would  repeat  certain  cabalistic 
words,  fall  on  their  backs  in  a trance,  spring  up  and 
brandish  their  weapons  fiercely,  and  then  fall  again, 
and  lie  as  though  dead.  On  coming  out  of  the 
trance,  they  felt  extremely  tired,  and  told  what 
ancient  heroes  they  had  seen,  and  what  the  latter 
said.  Their  belief  that  a spirit  entered  into  them, 
and  made  them  invulnerable,  was  due  to  hypnotism, 
which  made  them  unconscious  of  pain. 

Some  of  the  missionaries  employed  spies  to  as- 
certain the  localities  in  which  the  Boxers  were  drill- 
ing, and  gave  full  information  to  the  consuls.  One 
missionary  tried  to  arrest  some  of  the  Boxers  with 
his  own  hands,  but  they  refused  to  be  arrested. 
In  the  district  of  Hsiao  Chang,  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  southwest  of  Tientsin,  the  London 
Mission,  before  the  outbreak,  succeeded  in  collect- 
ing from  the  officials  three  thousand  dollars,  as  in- 
demnity for  the  native  Christians.  Near  Paotingfu 
the  Boxers  were  numerous  and  active.  At  one 


18  A Flight  For  Life 

place  the  Roman  Catholics  were  attacked,  and 
seventy  were  slaughtered.  An  officer  went  with 
troops  to  quell  the  disturbance ; his  horse  stumbled, 
and  the  Boxers,  taking  advantage  of  his  fall,  killed 
him.  At  Cho  Chou,  between  Peking  and  Paoting- 
fu,  seventeen  spies  on  horses  were  caught  and 
strangled  by  the  Boxers.  One  Roman  Catholic 
convert  was  beaten  to  the  backbone,  and  would  not 
recant.  A Presbyterian  brother,  being  ordered  to 
recant,  said  that  he  had  followed  Jesus  twenty 
years,  and  could  not  deny  him.  At  a village  south- 
west of  Peking,  where  there  was  a flourishing 
church,  a baby  having  been  born  in  the  home  of 
the  native  preacher,  the  heathen  declared  that  it  had 
wings,  and  that,  as  soon  as  they  were  fully  grown, 
the  village  would  be  destroyed.  In  such  ways  evil- 
minded  people  tried  to  stir  up  strife.  The  storm 
was  drawing  nearer  to  Peking  and  Tientsin,  but 
had  not  yet  burst. 


CHAPTER  III 


THE  CALM  BEFORE  THE  STORM 

Early  in  May,  Tientsin  was  visited  by  two  dis- 
tinguished men,  Rev.  G.  Frederick  Wright,  d.d., 
and  Rev.  F.  E.  Clark,  d.d.  Dr.  Wright  lectured 
on  Glaciers  at  the  Viceroy’s  University,  which  was 
founded  by  Li  Hung  Chang;  after  which  he  went  to 
Kalgan,  traveled  north  with  Rev.  Mark  Williams, 
and  explored  the  mountains  on  the  border  of  Mon- 
golia. Rev.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  held  a Christian 
Endeavor  Convention  in  Wesley  Chapel,  May 
fourth  to  sixth.  Delegates  from  other  cities  were 
present,  among  whom  were  Rev.  Dr.  Ament  of 
Peking  and  Rev.  J.  W.  Lowrie  of  Paotingfu.  The 
exercises  of  the  convention  were  stimulating  and 
instructive,  and  formed  an  object-lesson  of  Chris- 
tian union,  several  denominations  meeting  together 
with  perfect  fraternity.  Similar  meetings  were  held 
in  Peking,  Paotingfu  and  T’ungcho.  Both  parties 
of  guests  left  Tientsin  only  a few  days  before  the 
massacres  began,  and  returned  to  America  by  the 
Siberian  route. 


19 


20 


A Flight  For  Life 


It  is  the  custom  of  the  North  China  Mission  of 
the  American  Board,  to  call  the  native  helpers  to- 
gether once  each  year,  and  give  them  a course  of 
lectures,  to  broaden  their  knowledge,  and  quicken 
their  devotion  in  Christian  service.  Some  of  the 
subjects  this  year  were : The  Stars,  Prayer-meet- 
ings, Isaiah,  Luther,  Revivals  and  Persecutions. 
Several  churches . of  our  Mission  had  experienced 
revivals  but  a few  weeks  before,  and  the  lecture 
telling  of  Ezra,  the  Pentecost,  Luther,  Wesley, 
Finney  and  Moody,  was  most  timely.  The  lecture 
on  Persecutions,  showing  how  nobly  the  early 
Christians  endured  suffering  for  Christ’s  sake,  and 
how  every  effort  to  destroy  the  Church  only  caused 
it  to  spread  more  widely,  gave  courage  and  hope 
to  those  who  listened,  wrhose  minds  were  full  of 
anxiety  regarding  the  Boxers. 

Afterward  a Mission  Meeting  was  held, — the  first 
four  days’  program  including  reports,  essays  and 
discussions,  in  the  Chinese  language ; and  several 
succeeding  days  being  occupied  by  devotional  and 
business  meetings  in  the  English  language.  On 
Sunday,  Pastor  Chia,  whose  home  and  chapel  had 
been  destroyed  by  the  Boxers,  was  one  of  the 
preachers,  and  his  nervous  manner  showed  the  ef- 
fect of  the  strain  he  had  undergone.  In  the  reports 


The  Calm  Before  the  Storm 


21 


given,  a case  of  conscience  was  cited,  concerning  a 
man  who,  before  his  conversion,  worshiped  and  fed 
his  father’s  tooth.  His  father  had  had  a tooth 
pulled.  When  he  died,  and  was  buried,  by  mistake 
the  tooth  was  not  buried  with  him.  The  son  placed 
it  on  a bracket,  and  offered  it  food  each  time  before 
eating  his  meals,  in  addition  to  which  he  burned 
incense,  and  bowed  down  to  the  tooth.  The  ques- 
tion was,  if  he  became  a Christian,  what  should  he 
do?  Would  not  filial  piety  require  him  to  continue 
this  worship  ? He  was  advised  not  to  worship  the 
tooth,  but  to  put  it  in  a safe  place  until  his  mother's 
death,  and  then  bury  it  with  his  mother.  This  was 
accepted  as  a proper  and  happy  solution  of  the 
problem. 

A few  years  ago,  when  the  railroad  from  Tientsin 
to  Peking  was  being  built,  it  was  planned  to  pass 
near  T’ungcho,  but  the  people  would  not  have  it. 
Therefore  it  followed  a different  route,  and  took 
away  all  the  business  of  T’ungcho.  This  city  being 
at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Pei  Ho,  or  North 
River,  which  is  virtually  part  of  the  Grand  Canal, 
the  tribute  rice  from  the  south,  and  goods  brought 
from  the  coast,  were  taken  from  the  boats  at  this 
place,  and  sent  to  Peking  on  carts  and  wheel- 
barrows. The  common  method  of  stealing  the 


22 


A Flight  For  Life 


government  rice  was  to  punch  the  rice  bag  with 
a pointed  stick,  place  a bowl  underneath,  withdraw 
the  stick,  and  let  the  rice  fall  into  the  bowl.  The 
road  from  T’ungcho  to  Peking  is  a highway  above 
the  level  of  the  surrounding  country,  paved  with 
large  blocks  of  stone ; but  the  traffic  over  it  was 
so  heavy  that  the  cart-wheels  wore  ruts  between 
the  ends  of  the  stones,  half  a foot  or  more  in  depth. 
To  ride  over  such  a road  in  a springless  cart  was 
almost  enough  to  break  one’s  bones.  This  road 
being  traversed  by  tourists,  a report  went  abroad 
that  China  had  splendid  roads.  The  most  of  the 
roads  are  great  only  in  length,  and  in  the  difficulty 
of  traveling  over  them.  They  are  never  repaired 
except  when  impassable,  and  such  mixtures  of  mud, 
sand  and  rock  are  not  worthy  to  be  called  roads. 

T’ungcho  is  two  cities  in  one.  The  western  part 
contains  a “granary,”  with  scarcely  any  buildings, 
and  probably  not  much  grain.  The  square  bastion 
at  the  southwest  corner  of  the  city  wall  has  been 
taken  down,  and  rebuilt  in  a rounded  shape.  It  is 
the  custom  in  China,  in  case  a son  kills  his  father, 
to  change  in  this  way  the  corner  of  the  city  wall, 
as  a threat  against  the  existence  of  the  city.  After 
a second  case  of  patricide,  another  corner  of  the 
wall  would  be  rounded  off.  After  a third  patricide, 


The  Calm  Before  the  Storm 


23 


the  city  would  be  destroyed,  and  no  one  ever  al- 
lowed to  live  on  its  site.  The  law  being  so  severe, 
bribery  must  be  frequently  employed  to  prevent 
such  sentences  being  passed  by  the  Judge. 

The  Americans  in  T’ungcho  were  an  educational 
and  literary  power.  Foremost  among  them  were 
Rev.  Drs.  C.  Goodrich  and  D.  Z.  Sheffield.  The 
former  was  Dean  of  the  Gordon  Memorial  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  and  the  latter  was  President  of 
the  North  China  College.  Schools  of  all  grades 
were  maintained,  a hospital  and  dispensary  gave 
help  to  the  poor,  and  a church  supporting  its  own 
Chinese  pastor  showed  the  success  of  the  evangel- 
istic work.  Dr.  J.  H.  Ingram,  in  1899,  made  a 
run  from  T’ungcho  to  Kalgan  on  his  bicycle, — over 
three  ranges  of  mountains,  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  of  rock  and  sand,  in  only  forty-six  hours, — 
and  saved  Mr.  Williams’  life.  Dr.  Sheffield  invented 
a Chinese  typewriter  and  electrical  machines.  The 
workers  at  this  place  succeeded  in  developing 
among  the  Chinese  the  highest  traits  of  manhood 
and  womanhood.  T’ungcho  visible  was  a dirty  city 
on  a flat  and  malarial  plain.  T’ungcho  dynamic, 
with  its  college  and  other  institutions,  was  a 
mountain  height  of  thought,  purity  and  power. 

The  college  campus,  southwest  of  the  city,  con- 


24 


A Flight  For  Life 


tained  fifteen  acres  of  land,  a dormitory  and  recita- 
tion building  called  “Williams  Hall,” — from  Dr. 
S.  Wells  Williams,  one  of  the  chief  donors, — and 
residences  for  the  missionaries  and  native  teachers. 
A large  garden  of  strawberry  plants  gave  the  stu- 
dents an  opportunity  to  earn  part  of  their  support. 
A windmill,  which  pumped  water  for  the  straw- 
berries, should  have  taught  the  people  an  improved 
method  of  irrigation,  but  may  have  aroused  their 
superstitious  fears.  Dr.  Ingram  had  just  built  a 
fine  brick  church  in  the  city.  He  was  naturally 
anxious  lest  it  should  be  burned  by  the  Boxers. 

After  four  days  of  Chinese  meetings,  the  mission- 
aries in  the  city  went  out  to  the  college,  for  the 
English  meetings  of  the  following  days.  At  night 
two  gentlemen  would  return  to  the  city  to  watch 
the  property,  and  Miss  Andrews  and  Miss  Chapin 
also  went  there  to  quiet  the  fears  of  the  Christian 
women.  All  felt  the  approach  of  the  impending 
calamity.  The  quiet  was  the  calm  before  the  storm. 


CHAPTER  IV 


T’UNGCHO  AND  KALGAN  IN  DANGER 

The  railroad  having  ruined  the  business  of 
T’ungcho,  the  people  of  this  place  hated  it,  and 
were  bitter  against  foreigners ; and  it  was  the 
Boxers  from  this  city,  who,  on  the  twenty-ninth 
of  May,  destroyed  the  railroad  junction  at  Feng 
T’ai,  where  the  road  from  Peking  to  Tientsin  joined 
that  to  Paotingfu.  They  burned  the  railway 
station,  and  the  storehouses  of  the  foreign  mer- 
chants, and  tore  up  a part  of  the  Paotingfu  road. 
That  was  really  the  beginning  of  the  outbreak.  The 
next  day,  Memorial  Day  in  America,  feeling  our 
insecurity,  we  raised  the  Stars  and  Stripes  above 
Mr.  Tewksbury's  house  at  the  college;  but  the 
flag  could  not  defend  the  buildings,  and  within  ten 
days  they  were  all  destroyed.  Beneath  the  flag 
was  a telescope,  which  the  natives  thought  to  be  a 
gun.  They  said  that  with  one  shot  it  could  blow  to 
pieces  half  the  city.  Though  we  told  them  it  was 
only  a telescope,  they  repeatedly  begged  us  not  to 
fire  it  off. 


25 


26 


A Flight  For  Life 


The  Boxers  next  attacked  the  civil  engineers 
employed  by  the  railway  company,  who,  with  their 
families,  lived  at  a place  fifteen!  miles  southwest  of 
Peking.  The  French  hotel-keeper  led  a small  res- 
cuing party,  and  brought  them  all  into  the  city. 
About  the  same  time,  thirty  engineers  fled  by  boat 
from  Paotingfu  to  Tientsin,  but,  being  attacked  on 
the  way,  lost  seven  of  their  number.  The  next  day 
fifty  Cossacks  went  from  Tientsin,  and  brought  in 
three  of  those  that  were  lost. 

On  Thursday,  May  31st,  one  hundred  United 
States  marines,  and  similar  troops  of  the  other 
Powers,  were  at  Tientsin.  All  of  the  Ministers  in 
Peking  spent  the  night  at  the  Foreign  Office  until 
2 130  A.M.,  demanding  permission  that  the  guards 
might  come,  and  insisting  that,  if  they  should 
not  be  allowed  to  do  so,  larger  numbers 
would  be  sent  for.  Under  these  circumstances,  our 
anxiety  on  the  first  of  June  may  be  imagined.  That 
was  the  fifth  day  of  the  fifth  moon,  a Chinese  feast- 
day,  when  people  would  be  at  leisure,  drink  more 
wine  than  at  other  times,  and  be  more  ready  to 
engage  in  riot.  Dr.  A.  H.  Smith  said  in  our 
meeting:  “We  are  sitting  on  a volcano,  which  is 

going  to  blow  us  and  the  church  sky-high ; but  the 
Church  of  Christ  will  come  down  all  right,  and  go 


T’lingcho  and  Kalgan  in  Danger  27 

on  even  better  than  before ; but  there  is  no  knowing 
whether  you  and  I shall  come  down  or  not.” 

The  next  day  was  scorching  hot.  The  United 
States  marines  marched  into  Peking  with  fixed 
bayonets,  followed  by  those  of  other  nations,  each 
of  the  four  strongest  being  represented  by  seventy- 
five  soldiers.  Ten  thousand  Chinese  troops  were 
drawn  up  in  two  lines  between  the  railway  station 
and  the  city  gate,  a distance  of  four  miles,  and  the 
populace  turned  out  en  masse  to  see  the  sight.  The 
captain  of  the  American  marines  said  afterward 
that  he  never  before  had  seen  so  many  people  in 
one  day,  and  that,  if  the  Chinese  had  attacked  them, 
our  men  would  have  had  no  opportunity  to  defend 
themselves. 

The  same  day  reports  came  of  native  Christians 
being  killed  in  the  villages  near  T’ungcho.  Four 
camps  of  Boxers  were  established  close  to  the  col- 
lege. Two  English  missionaries,  Messrs.  Robinson 
and  Norman,  who  lived  midway  between  Peking 
and  Tientsin,  were  attacked  by  six  hundred  Boxers 
and  slain.  They  belonged  to  the  “Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Gospel.”  The  name  of  their 
chapel  was  identical  with  that  of  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic cathedrals,  and  we  thought  that  this  may  have 
been  the  reason  why  they  were  attacked  before 
other  Protestant  missionaries. 


28 


A Flight  For  Life 


Late  in  the  evening,  a telegram  came  from  Mr. 
Sprague  in  Kalgan,  saying  that  the  Boxers  were 
threatening  that  Mission  Station,  and  asking  that 
we  demand  from  the  Foreign  Office  instructions  to 
the  Kalgan  magistrates,  to  protect  the  missionaries  ; 
also  requesting  us  to  go  and  help  him  as  early  as 
possible. 

A few  days  before,  Kalgan  seemed  the  only  place 
in  our  Mission  not  terrorized  by  the  Boxers.  On 
May  28,  Mr.  Sprague  wrote  that  Kalgan  did  not 
propose  to  be  behind  the  rest  of  the  world,  for  Box- 
ers had  come  there  too.  Several  armed  men  had 
been  seen  near  the  place,  and  had  used  threatening 
words,  but  were  arrested  the  next  morning  by  con- 
stables from  Peking,  and  proved  to  be  not  Boxers, 
but  horse-thieves. 

June  2nd,  when  he  sent  the  telegram,  Mr. 
Sprague  wrote : “Boxer  rumors  are  exciting  many 
people  here.  The  Boxers  are  drilling  on  the  street 
daily.  Two  families  living  in  our  dispensary  have 
left  in  fear.  The  Boxers  say  that  they  will  enter 
our  premises  on  Monday  night,  and  burn  the 
houses.  I sent  teacher  Lo  to  the  police  office  last 
night  for  a guard.  The  chief  of  police  laughed  at 
the  matter  loudly,  but  finally  promised  the  men.  I 
shall  ask  for  an  extra  guard  for  a few  days.  I wish 


T’ungcho  and  Kalgan  in  Danger 


29 


you  were  here,  to  stand  with  your  gun  shoulder 
to  shoulder  with  me.  I hope  that  you  will  come  as 
soon  as  the  Mission  Meeting  is  over.  There  is 
nothing  more  to  say,  except  that  we  propose  to 
‘trust  in  God,  and  keep  our  powder  dry’.” 

Sunday  came,  but  we  could  not  all  enjoy  rest. 
Mr.  Tewksbury  and  Dr.  Ingram  rode  to  Peking  on 
their  bicycles,  consulted  Minister  Conger  as  to  the 
safety  of  T’ungcho  and  Kalgan,  and  returned  be- 
fore evening.  At  five  p.m.  we  sang  Gospel 
Hymns,  and  at  eight  p.m.  received  the  com- 
munion, Dr.  Goodrich  and  Mr.  Williams  officiat- 
ing. 

Mission  Meeting  closed  on  Monday,  the  fourth. 
It  is  a necessary  part  of  our  Annual  Meeting,  to 
have  an  evening  of  music  and  recreation,  as  a relief 
for  our  minds  under  the  strain  of  many  meetings 
and  much  business.  This  year  the  need  was  greater, 
because  of  the  unusual  anxiety.  On  this  last  even- 
ing we  held  a musicale  at  the  college.  The  mis- 
sionary children  sang  and  declaimed,  and  we  had  a 
good  deal  of  sport  and  music ; but  underneath  it 
all  was  the  terrible  feeling  that  our  lives  were  in 
imminent  danger.  The  Misses  Wyckoff  sang  a 
duet : — 

“Oh,  for  the  wings,  for  the  wings  of  a dove. — 


3« 


A Flight  For  Life 


Far,  far  away  to  my  home  would  1 rove; 

In  the  depth  of  the  wilderness  build  me  a nest,”  etc. 

As  these  ladies  were  shortly  after  cooped  up  in 
Peking  during  the  siege,  we  who  were  traveling 
through  the  desert  of  Gobi  could  not  help  thinking 
of  the  song  as  being  both  appropriate  and  omi- 


nous. 


CHAPTER  V 


PEKING  JUST  BEFORE  THE  SIEGE 

At  daybreak  of  June  5,  Dr.  Ament  and  I left 
T’ungcho,  and  went  to  Peking  on  our  wheels.  En- 
tering the  city,  we  saw  the  foreign  guards  on  the 
streets,  and  felt  that  their  presence  gave  security ; 
but,  shortly  after,  we  learned  that  the  Chinese  ex- 
pected an  uprising  of  the  whole  populace  within 
three  days,  in  an  attempt  to  massacre  all  the  for- 
eigners in  the  city;  and  we  realized  anew  that  we 
were  standing  on  a volcano. 

Minister  Conger  received  us  at  the  United  States 
Legation.  He  was  care-worn  and  anxious.  Sev- 
eral tourists,  who  were  his  guests,  were  spend- 
ing the  entire  day  at  the  railway  station,  trying  to 
go  to  Tientsin,  but  not  succeeding,  for  they  were 
not  allowed  to  buy  tickets.  This  shows  the  easy 
way  in  which  the  Chinese  can  make  a railroad  be- 
come no  railroad  for  foreigners  at  any  time.  To  go 
to  Tientsin  in  any  other  way  would  have  been  im- 
possible, for  the  country  was  full  of  Boxers,  and 
we  had  received  official  notice  that  all  the  ap- 
3i 


32 


A Flight  For  Life 


proaches  to  Tientsin  were  dangerous.  Escape  to 
the  coast  was  cut  off.  To  go  out  of  the  country  to 
the  south,  east  or  west,  was  impossible,  and  the 
only  way  of  escape, — a way  full  of  dangers, — was 
northward  to  Kalgan  and  Siberia.  Mr.  Williams 
and  I did  not  think  of  going  so  far  as  to  Siberia, 
but  thought  first  to  go  and  help  Mr.  Sprague 
against  the  Boxers  in  Kalgan,  and,  if  possible,  to 
continue  our  missionary  work  there ; for  Kalgan 
is  as  far  from  Peking  in  point  of  time  as  Boston 
is  from  San  Francisco,  and  frequently  hereto- 
fore, when  there  were  commotions  in  Peking,  Kal- 
gan had  been  quiet.  We  thought  that,  if  it  should 
be  impossible  to  stay  at  Kalgan,  we  might  with- 
draw to  some  place  in  the  prairie  of  Mongolia,  or 
to  Urga  at  the  farthest,  until  the  storm  should  have 
passed  by.  Then  we  could  return  to  our  work. 
Mr.  Conger  at  first  advised  us  not  to  go.  He  said  : 
“You  are  safe  here,  and  would  be  safe  at  any  place 
where  foreigners  reside,  but  are  not  safe  traveling 
anywhere.”  But  when  we  told  him  that  we  had 
lived  many  years  in  Kalgan,  were  well  known  along 
the  road,  and  thought  that  we  ought  to  go  to  Mr. 
Sprague’s  relief,  he  said:  “You  know  that  region 
better  than  I,  and  may  go  on  your  own  responsi- 
bility, and  I wish  you  good  success.” 


Peking  Just  Before  the  Siege 


33 


While  we  were  at  the  Legation,  the  native 
Christians  were  holding  a meeting  in  the  American 
Board  Chapel,  praying  for  some  means  of  protec- 
tion. Before  the  meeting  was  ended,  Dr.  Ament 
returned,  and  told  them  that  Minister  Conger  had 
promised  a guard  of  ten  or  twenty  soldiers,  in  case 
of  riot,  to  protect  them  at  the  American  Board 
premises ; but  that,  if  the  situation  should  become 
desperate,  the  guards  and  missionaries  would  have 
to  go  to  the  British  Legation.  This  message 
cheered  the  Christians  a great  deal,  but  was  in  it- 
self of  little  value,  for  the  situation  was  rapidly 
becoming  desperate,  and,  if  the  guards  and  mission- 
aries should  retire  to  the  British  Legation,  these 
Christians,  apparently,  would  be  left  to  the  mercy 
of  their  enemies. 

That  day  we  hired  litters  and  mules  to  take  our 
party  to  Kalgan,  and,  most  unexpectedly,  were  able 
to  get  them  without  the  usual  delay.  The  mules, 
when- wanted,  are  generally  not  in  the  city,  and  must 
be  sent  for ; and  the  traveler  must  wait  three,  five, 
or  even  seven  days,  till  they  come.  In  our  emer- 
gency, just  before  the  siege,  we  were  specially 
favored  by  a kind  Providence,  in  being  able  to  get 
at  once  all  the  mules  that  were  needed. 

In  the  evening  there  was  a fight  at  Huang  Ts’un, 


34 


A Flight  For  Life 


thirteen  miles  south  of  the  city,  in  which  several 
soldiers  were  killed.  There  was  rioting  also  at  Cho 
Chou,  but  our  chapel  there  was  not  destroyed,  be- 
cause the  Boxers  supposed  it  contained  eight  cases 
of  powder,  which  they  feared  might  explode.  News 
came  of  a riot  at  Tsun  Hua,  one  hundred  miles 
east  of  Peking,  where  the  American  Methodists  had 
a Mission  station.  A letter  was  received  from  Rev. 
H.  T.  Pitkin,  of  Paotingfu,  telling  of  five  bands  of 
Boxers  on  different  sides  of  the  city,  and  escape 
entirely  cut  off.  The  letter  showed  his  great 
anxiety,  combined  with  a noble  spirit  of  resignation 
to  the  divine  will.  While  we  were  reading  his  let- 
ter, news  came  by  a telegram  from  the  Viceroy  of 
Chihli  to  the  Foreign  Office,  saying  that  seven  for- 
eigners had  been  massacred  in  Paotingfu.  That 
was  a month  before  the  missionaries  at  that  place 
were  put  to  death ; but,  as  the  telegram  was  an 
official  one,  we  had  no  reason  to  doubt  it,  and  it 
added  to  our  feeling  of  the  seriousness  of  the 
situation.  Another  telegram  came  from  Mr. 
Sprague,  saying:  “No  attack.  Boxers  threaten- 
ing.” 

Word  was  also  received  that  the  government 
had  invited  all  the  ambassadors  to  go  to  the  For- 
eign Office  at  three  o’clock  the  next  morning,  to 


Peking  Just  Before  the  Siege  35 

hear  “a  great  state  secret.”  We  wondered  whether 
this  might  be  that  the  Reform  Party  was  to  return 
to  power,  or  that  the  emperor  had  been  killed ; but 
we  feared  it  might  be  a trick  to  entrap  and  kill  the 
ambassadors.  It  is  well  known  that  the  govern- 
ment did  design  to  kill  them  all,  on  the  day 
when  the  German  minister,  Von  Ketteler,  was 
assassinated. 

Wednesday,  June  6,  we  went  out  of  Peking. 
The  day  was  extremely  hot  and  sultry.  Our  bag- 
gage had  to  be  weighed,  as  everything  must  be 
packed  so  as  to  balance  well  on  a mule.  The 
scorching  heat  and  suffocating  atmosphere  were 
well-nigh  unendurable.  For  a year  there  had  been 
scarcely  any  rain  or  snow,  and  the  drought  seemed 
to  have  filled  the  air  with  a dust  that  could  not 
settle. 

At  length,  before  noon,  the  baggage  was  ready, 
and  Miss  Dr.  V.  C.  Murdock,  Rev.  Mark  Williams, 
Mr.  Carl  G.  Sbderbom  and  I,  with  my  faithful 
servant,  started  for  Kalgan.  Dr.  Murdock’s  plan 
was  to  give  medical  aid  in  Kalgan  during  the 
summer,  which  was  much  needed,  for  there  was  no 
physician  there.  Mr.  Soderbom,  a Swedish  mis- 
sionary of  the  Christian  Alliance,  had  gone  to 
Tientsin  to  act  as  business  agent  of  his  Mission. 


36 


A Flight  For  Life 


An  errand  called  him  to  Peking  on  the  fourth,  and 
he  could  not  return.  So  he  went  with  us  to  his 
family  in  Kalgan.  As  they  went  to  Siberia  in  our 
company,  it  was  most  fortunate  that  he  was  with 
us. 

To  leave  Peking  is  always  a joy.  As  soon  as  one 
passes  the  city  gates,  the  purer  air  of  the  country 
gives  a feeling  of  relief.  As  the  siege  was  about  to 
begin,  we  were  escaping  from  prison.  As  a choice 
of  evils,  if  die  we  must,  it  seemed  better  to  perish 
among  the  wild  flowers  of  Mongolia,  than  in  the 
ill-smelling  streets  of  Peking. 


CHAPTER  VI 


TO  KALGAN  BY  THE  GREAT  WALL 

Our  leaving  Peking  was  somewhat  in  disguise. 
We  bought  large  sheets  of  oilcloth,  and  wrapped 
up  our  trunks  and  other  baggage,  in  order  to  make 
them  appear  like  bundles  of  Chinese  merchandise, 
kept  the  mule-litter  doors  closed,  and  sat  back 
away  from  the  windows,  so  as  to  avoid  observation 
and  conceal  the  fact  that  foreigners  were  escaping 
from  the  city.  Fortunately  our  mule-drivers,  being 
Mohammedans,  could  not  affiliate  with  the  Boxers, 
because  the  latter  practice  idolatry.  Therefore  the 
drivers  were  true  friends.  They  took  us  only  to 
Mohammedan  inns.  We  gave  them  a little  extra 
pay,  to  lead  us  by  a circuitous  road,  in  order  not  to 
pass  the  Manchu  barracks  outside  Peking,  where  I 
once  was  pelted  with  stones  and  mud,  at  the  time 
of  the  Japanese  war,  and  where  on  several  other 
occasions  stones  had  been  thrown  at  missionaries. 

The  long,  hot  day  finally  drew  to  a close,  and  we 
stopped  for  the  night  at  Kuan  Shih.  The  head  man 
of  the  inn  was  friendly,  and  anxious  to  hear  the 

37 


38 


A Flight  For  Life 


news.  We  did  not  tell  him  all  we  knew,  but  enough 
to  satisfy  his  curiosity.  The  next  morning,  as  we 
were  leaving  that  town,  I heard  a man  say,  with  a 
coarse  laugh,  “When  they  are  killed,  they  will  be 
finished!”  The  people  did  not  appear  friendly  at  any 
place  except  Cock-crow  Post-city,  one  hundred 
miles  from  Peking,  where  we  were  welcomed  with 
the  old-time  cordiality. 

At  Huai  Lai  (“Bosom  Come”),  half-way  to  Kal- 
gan,  we  met  a son  of  Mr.  Splingard,  a Belgian. 
Mr.  Splingard  came  to  China  many  years  ago,  with 
a German  named  Graesler.  The  latter  drank  lager 
beer  to  excess,  became  wealthy  by  exporting  wool, 
married  a Chinese  woman,  adopted  a Mongol  child, 
and  at  last,  discouraged  by  reverses,  took  his  own 
life.  Splingard  used  to  be  intimate  with  the  Chi- 
nese officials,  and  Graesler  spoke  lightly  of  him, 
saying  that  he  knew  nothing  of  business ; but 
Splingard  was  the  more  successful,  for  he  was  ap- 
pointed a mandarin  of  high  rank,  to  superintend  the 
Customs  Office  at  the  western  end  of  the  Great 
Wall.  He  occupied  that  position  many  years,  gain- 
ing, we  are  told,  ten  thousand  taels  ($6,000)  a year. 
As  I said,  we  met  his  son  going  to  Peking,  with  a 
view  to  escaping  to  the  coast.  He  urged  us  not  to 
go  to  Kalgan,  saying:  “It  is  of  no  use  for  you  to 


To  Kalgan  by  the  Great  Wall 


39 


preach  now.  The  people  will  not  listen.  You 
might  better  go  to  your  old  homes.” 

While  on  the  way,  we  heard  a rumor  that  the 
missionaries  in  Kalgan  had  caught  two  young 
Boxers,  locked  them  in  the  dispensary,  gone  to  see 
the  official  about  them,  and,  on  their  return,  could 
not  find  them ! We  also  heard  that  no  one  was  left 
on  the  Mission  premises  there. 

Our  arrival  at  Kalgan  was  on  Sunday,  June  io. 
For  many  years  we  had  refused  to  travel  on  Sun- 
day, paying  the  mule-men  enough  to  feed  their 
animals,  and  thus  securing  our  day  of  rest.  We 
thought  it  necessary  to  reinforce  our  teachings,  by 
setting  an  example  of  Sabbath  observance.  At  this 
time  of  danger,  the  welfare  of  our  friends  in  Kal- 
gan, as  well  as  our  own,  made  Sunday  traveling 
unavoidable.  Before  we  left  Hsiian  Hua  Fu,  we 
learned  that  the  Boxers  there  were  active,  threaten- 
ing the  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral  and  commu- 
nity. One  Protestant  missionary,  Mr.  Lundquist, 
with  his  family,  still  lived  in  that  city.  Mr.  Soder- 
bom  informed  him  of  his  danger,  and  insisted  on 
taking  him  and  his  family  to  Kalgan  immediately. 
They  went  there  on  a springless  cart — the  only 
vehicle  they  could  get — and  it  was  a trying  ordeal 
for  Mrs.  Lundquist,  as  she  was  in  poor  health.  The 


40 


A Flight  For  Life 


children  also  were  weak  and  sick.  Mr.  Lundquist 
took  them  to  the  home  of  Mr.  F.  A.  Larson,  in  the 
northern  part  of  Kalgan. 

When  we  Americans  had  crossed  the  long  stone 
bridge,  we  found  the  streets  of  Kalgan  much  as 
usual,  but  a stream  of  persons  was  walking  to  and 
fro,  as  if  going  to  and  from  a theater.  We  did  not 
imagine  that  our  home  was  their  objective  point. 
As  we  rode  a mile  around  the  city  to  our  gate,  the 
crowds  on  the  streets  increased,  and  eyed  us  with 
curiosity,  mingled  with  pity  or  hatred.  Outside  of 
our  gate,  there  was  a howling  mob,  hundreds  of 
men  and  boys  having  come  to  see  our  houses 
burned.  It  was  rumored  in  the  city  that  our  build- 
ings already  were  burning.  The  smoke  from  a 
neighboring  brick-kiln  gave  rise  to  this  story. 
When  we  passed  through  the  crowd,  whose  yelling 
was  terrible  to  hear,  I was  thankful  that  I saw  no 
clubs  nor  swords  in  their  hands,  and  that  they  did 
not  try  to  prevent  our  entering  the  gate.  The  mob 
lacked  organization,  mutual  confidence,  and  a 
leader.  If  they  had  followed  us  into  the  yard,  they 
could  have  killed  us  at  once.  Doubtless  some 
among  them  were  friendly,  but  dared  not  let  it 
be  known. 

The  anxiety  of  Mr.  Sprague  and  the  native  Chris- 


To  Kalgan  by  the  Great  Wall 


4i 


tians,  and  their  joy  at  seeing  us,  was  too  great  to  be 
expressed  in  words.  Yet  there  was  little  that  we 
could  do  to  help  them.  We  told  them  of  the  hostile 
attitude  of  the  government,  and  this  definite 
information  direct  from  the  capital,  at  such  a 
critical  time,  was  the  greatest  possible  help,  and 
aided  them,  as  the  result  showed,  in  making  their 
escape. 

The  mob,  after  threatening  us  a long  time, 
was  at  last  persuaded  to  go  away,  by  a small 
official  beseeching  them,  and  saying:  “Go  now, 
and  save  my  face,  for  the  time  for  burning  these 
buildings  has  not  yet  fully  come.”  It  was  evident 
where  his  sympathies  were.  In  the  afternoon 
we  consulted  with  the  Christians  as  to  what 
should  be  done,  but  could  not  arrive  at  any  defi- 
nite conclusion.  Though  the  danger  was  great, 
our  desire  to  remain  and  continue  the  work  was 
equally  great,  and  the  path  of  duty  was  not  yet 
made  plain. 


CHAPTER  VII 


TAKING  REFUGE  IN  THE  YAMEN 

‘‘Having  done  all  that  you  can,  listen  to  Heaven’s  decree.” 

— Chinese  Proverb. 

In  the  evening  the  mob  returned,  and  tried  to 
break  down  our  gate.  Neither  our  guns  fired  in 
the  air,  nor  the  use  of  the  fire-extinguisher,  availed 
to  frighten  them ; and  the  terrible  moment  came, 
which  we  had  often  feared  might  come,  when  it 
was  necessary  to  mount  the  wall  surrounding  our 
yard,  point  a shot-gun  at  the  crowd,  and  tell  them : 
“If  you  do  not  scatter,  we  shall  fire.”  If  they  had 
not  dispersed,  or  if  one  of  our  number  had  acted 
rashly,  blood  would  have  been  shed  on  both  sides, 
and  the  results  would  have  been  most  serious.  But 
providentially,  after  repeated  warnings,  they  did 
go  away.  Then,  knowing  that  they  would  return, 
and  fearing  the  attitude  of  the  Imperial  Govern- 
ment more  than  the  threats  of  the  local  mob,  we 
called  the  Christians  together,  and  said  that  they 
must  leave  us  while  they  could,  and  go  to  their 
homes  in  the  country.  Their  homes  were  mostly 
42 


Taking  Refuge  in  the  Yanten  43 

at  distances  of  fifty  or  eighty  miles  southwest 
of  Kalgan,  among  the  mountains,  where  there 
are  many  places  for  concealment.  In  the  night 
we  sent  away  the  boys  and  girls  of  our  schools, 
with  Christian  men  to  escort  them,  and  we  learned 
afterward  that  they  all  safely  reached  their  homes. 
The  preachers,  teachers  and  servants,  and  all  the 
other  Chinese  on  our  premises,  were  likewise 
dismissed.  Meantime  we  hastily  packed  some 
clothing  and  food,  while  Mr.  Sprague  most  pa- 
tiently spent  the  precious  time  in  reckoning  the 
accounts  of  the  Chinese  who  were  leaving  us, 
and  paying  the  exact  amounts  of  money  due  them. 
It  was  an  hour  in  which  most  men  would  have 
been  unwilling  to  do  this. 

There  were  then  in  our  party,  Rev.  Mark 
Williams,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  W.  P.  Sprague,  Miss 
V.  C.  Murdock,  m.d.,  Miss  M.  Engh  and  myself. 
Just  before  daybreak,  June  11,  we  left  our  homes 
with  saddened  hearts,  and  fled  on  foot  two  miles 
around  the  city,  carrying  our  hand-bags,  guns  and 
shawls,  to  the  office  of  the  general  commanding 
the  Manchu  troops.  One  of  our  members  was  in 
no  condition  to  walk,  but  received  strength  suffi- 
cient for  the  emergency.  Without  much  difficulty 
we  obtained  entrance  into  the  gatekeeper’s  house, 


44 


A Flight  For  Life 


a long,  low  building,  where  the  business  of  the  un- 
der-officials is  transacted.  There  we  drank  some 
wretched  tea,  and  some  of  us  got  a very  little  sleep, 
while  waiting  for  the  late  hour  when  the  general 
would  attend  to  business.  Then  we  were  asked: 
“What  request  do  you  wish  to  present  to  the  great 
man?”  Our  reply  was  that  we  wished  him  to  pro- 
tect us  through  that  day,  and  to  send  us  the  next 
day,  with  an  escort  of  soldiers,  out  of  the  city  into 
Mongolia.  This  he  promised  to  do. 

Early  in  the  morning,  Messrs.  Larson,  Soderbom 
and  Lundquist,  with  their  families,  left  the  city  on 
carts,  going  to  Mongolia, — Mr.  Larson  carrying  his 
loaded  rifle  in  plain  view  of  all  that  were  on  the 
street.  He  sent  for  Miss  Engh,  because  she  was 
a Swede,  and  formerly  belonged  to  his  own  Mis- 
sion, asking  if  she  would  go  with  them ; but,  after 
much  hesitation,  she  decided  to  remain  with  us. 
Her  indecision  illustrates  the  difficulties  of  our  sit- 
uation. She  did  not  dare  to  go,  and  hardly  dared 
to  remain. 

During  the  day,  Mr.  Sprague  returned  to  our 
houses,  and  packed  such  things  as  he  could  hope 
to  bring  away.  Hiring  carts,  he  brought  to  the 
general’s  office  our  trunks  of  clothing,  some  small 
supplies  of  food,  and  boxes  containing  important 


Taking  Refuge  in  the  Y amen  45 

articles,  which  he  was  anxious  to  save  from  destruc- 
tion. 

We  spent  the  day  in  the  guest-house  of  the 
Yamen,  with  very  little  to  eat  or  drink,  and  con- 
stantly stared  at  by  the  unfriendly  natives.  Several 
of  the  Chinese  Christians  came  to  speak  with  us. 
Helper  Sung  brought  a telegram  of  alarming  im- 
port. It  read  as  follows: — 

“Roberts,  Kalgan : 

T’ungcho  abandoned  burned.  Many  Christians 
killed.  All  missionaries  pupils  refugees  Methodist  com- 
pound. American  guard  reinforcements  expected.  Politi- 
cal situation  grave.  Paotingfu  safe  Thursday.” 

This  message  was  sent  from  Peking,  and  meant 
that  our  beautiful  college,  chapels,  hospital  and 
homes  in  T’ungcho  were  destroyed;  that  the  mis- 
sionaries and  pupils,  not  only  of  that  city,  but  of 
all  Peking,  were  cooped  up  in  the  Methodist  com- 
pound ; that  all  the  other  Mission  premises  in 
Peking  were  burned ; and  that  our  friends  were  in 
grave  danger.  Virtually  the  siege  of  Peking  had 
begun.  We  sent  a telegram  in  reply,  in  these 
words : — 

“Ewing,  Peking: 

All  fled  Tutung  Yamen,  going  Mongolia. 

“Roberts.” 

We  hoped  that  this  message  would  be  forwarded 


46 


A Flight  For  Life 


to  America,  and  quiet  the  anxiety  of  our  friends  at 
home ; but  it  never  was  delivered  in  Peking.  The 
Boxers  had  cut  the  wires  on  every  side  of  the 
capital. 

That  day  was  the  fifteenth  of  the  fifth  moon,  a 
holiday,  or,  as  the  Chinese  say,  one  of  the  days  of 
the  gods.  At  such  a time  a riot  was  specially 
liable  to  occur.  In  the  afternoon  a mob  gathered 
before  the  general’s  office,  and  he  became  unwilling 
to  be  known  as  one  who  protected  foreigners.  So 
he  said  to  us : — “You  must  go  to  a place  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  city,  where  I have  prepared 
rooms  for  you,  and  will  protect  you,  the  same  as  I 
would  here.”  Knowing  that  to  go  down  into  the 
city  would  be  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Boxers, 
we  insisted  on  staying  where  we  were,  and  begged 
him  to  send  us,  with  a military  escort,  through  the 
Great  Wall  into  Mongolia  in  the  night.  Most 
fortunately,  he  yielded  to  our  request.  If  he  had 
not  done  so,  we  should  have  been  at  the  mercy  of 
the  mob.  Still  he  wished  to  pretend,  to  the  Boxers, 
that  we  were  not  there.  His  yamen  consisted  of  a 
large  yard,  with  many  buildings.  Just  at  sunset 
he  had  us  and  our  baggage  hastily  removed  from 
the  guest-house  to  a little  musty  house  in  one  cor- 
ner of  the  yard, — a building  full  of  legal  documents 


Taking  Refuge  in  the  Yamcn  4 7 

covered  with  cobwebs  and  dust, — and  there  we  were 
shut  in,  and  the  door  was  locked.  We  were  prison- 
ers, and  could  not  help  thinking  that  fire  or  the 
sword  might  end  our  lives  then  and  there. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


THROUGH  THE  GREAT  WALL  INTO  MONGOLIA 

“They  cried  unto  the  Lord  in  their  trouble,  and  he  deliv- 
ered them  out  of  their  distresses.” 

At  last  the  city  quieted  down,  and  went  to  sleep. 
The  moonlight  was  at  its  best.  Shortly  after  mid- 
night, horses  and  carts  were  brought  to  the  gate 
of  the  yamen,  and  preparations  were  made  for 

starting  on  the  journey. 
Three  carts  had  been 
hired  for  the  ladies  and 
baggage,  and  the  men 
were  to  ride  on  horses. 
In  the  moonlight  these 
carts  and  animals,  and 
the  horses  of  the  soldiers 
about  to  escort  us, 
formed  an  imposing  array,  very  unlike  the  ap- 
pearance of  our  company  the  previous  morn- 
ing, when  we  fled  to  this  place.  Mr.  Sprague  de- 
sired to  leave  his  boxes  and  goods  stored  in  the 
yamen,  but  was  not  allowed  to  do  so.  He  hastily 

48 


A Cart  that  Took  us 
to  Mongolia 


Through  the  Great  Wall  into  Mongolia  49 

hired  another  cart,  and  took  them  with  him.  At 
last  we  started,  and  went  through  the  main  street 
of  the  city.  The  fifty  or  more  soldiers  going  with 
us  were  as  much  to  be  feared  as  to  be  desired. 
Near  the  Custom  House,  there  were  many  per- 
sons sitting  at 
the  sides  of 
the  street,  with 
swords  and  spears 
in  their  hands. 

Whether  these  al- 
so were  soldiers, 
sent  to  protect  us 
in  case  of  an  at- 
tack, or  whether 
they  were  Box- 
ers, we  did  not 
know.1  Arrived 
at  the  gate  in  the 
Great  Wall,  some  officials  came  out  of  an  ad- 
joining house  and  examined  our  passports,  which 
included  an  order  from  the  general,  to  have 
the  gate  opened.  This  gate  consists  of  two 
heavy  folding  doors,  made  of  planks  four  inches 
thick,  and  covered  on  the  outside  with  thin 


Gate  in  Great  Wall,  Kalgan 


They  were  not  Boxers. 


50 


A Flight  For  Life 


sheets  of  iron.  When  closed,  it  is  held  in  place 
by  a beam  fixed  across  it,  so  heavy  that  twenty 
men  are  required  to  lift  it.  No  Chinese  travelers 
can  have  this  gate  opened  for  them  at  night,  and 
even  the  emperor,  K’ang  Hsi,  traveling  incognito, 
had  to  wait  till  dawn  to  pass  through ; but  it  has 
often  been  opened  for  Russians  and  other  foreign- 
ers, for  the  sake  of  a liberal  fee.  If  it  seemed  good 
to  leave  the  poor  little  house,  and  come  out  into 
the  open,  air,  how  much  more  rejoiced  were  we  to 
go  through  that  gate,  into  the  valleys  leading  up  to 
the  plain  of  Mongolia ! There  would  be  less 
danger  from  mobs  than  in  the  city. 

One  mile  beyond  the  gate  were  the  houses  of 
the  Russian  merchants.  When  we  arrived  there,  all 
of  our  escort  had  gone  back  except  two  policemen 
and  two  soldiers.  Mr.  Sprague  wished  to  leave 
his  boxes  in  the  care  of  a Russian,  Mr.  Schapoff, 
supposing  that  their  buildings,  unlike  ours,  would 
not  be  burned.  It  was  two  o’clock  at  night.  The 
gatekeeper  would  not  open  the  gate.  He  said  that 
Mr.  Schapoff  had  the  key,  and  would  not  allow 
himself  to  be  awakened.  After  long  and  unsuccess- 
ful efforts  to  persuade  him,  the  day  began  to  break, 
and  his  employer  came  to  the  gate,  and  gave  orders 
that  the  boxes  should  be  placed  in  his  storehouse. 


Through  the  Great  Wall  into  Mongolia  51 

Then  we  went  on  our  way,  passing  two  natural 
arches  on  the  mountains,  one  of  which  is  said  to 
have  been  made  by  a gun  of  Genghis  Khan,  when 
he  came  down  through  this  valley  to  conquer 
China.  We  also  passed  places  where  highway 
robberies  have  often  been  committed,  and  stopped 
for  lunch  at  a poor  little  village  called  “The  Son 
of  an  Earthen  Well.”  Here  most  of  the  people 
live  in  dugouts  or  caves,  carved  in  banks  of  loess. 
Of  these  the  Chinese  say : “Those  who  live  in 
earthen  dugouts,  have  three  things  which  cannot 
happen  : in  the  winter  they  cannot  be  frozen ; in  the 
summer  they  cannot  be  hot ; and,  when  the  cave 
falls  in,  they  cannot  be  found.”1  The  ragged  paper 
windows  and  the  grass  on  the  housetops  give  a 
peculiar  appearance  to  the  miserable  village. 

Going  on  up  the  valley,  we  came  to  Hanore  Hill, 
which  is  at  the  edge  of  the  great  plateau  of  Mon- 
golia. The  road  up  this  hill,  from  time  immemo- 
rial, has  been  full  of  rocks,  and  extremely  difficult 
to  travel.  Sometimes  one  would  be  delayed  by 
hundreds  of  camels  passing  by,  or  by  jams  of  ox- 
carts, loaded  with  salt  or  soda,  some  of  them 
overturned  in  the  narrow  road.  On  this  occasion, 
to  our  surprise,  we  found  many  men  grading  the 
1 This  is  a literal  translation. 


52 


A Flight  For  Life 


road,  having  made  the  ascent  of  the  hill  already 
much  easier.  Some  carpenters  were  there,  building 
a temple,  which  would  commemorate  the  fact  that 
the  road  had  been  repaired,  and  offer  to  the  way- 
farer a shrine,  at  which  he  might  pray  for  a safe 
journey.  The  carpenters  were  old  friends  of  ours, 
who  had  built  our  houses,  and  they  greeted  us  most 
kindly.  Exhausted  and  anxious  as  we  were,  to 
meet,  these  friends  was  a great  pleasure. 

At  the  top  of  this  ascent  is  Mount  Pisgah,  from 
which  one  can  see  a great  distance  in  every  direc- 
tion, and,  probably,  with  unaided  eye  can  view  as 
large  an  area  of  mountain  and  valley  as  Moses  saw 
just  before  his  death.  Going  north  all  the  after- 
noon, we  came  to  T’ou  T’ai,  where  there  is  a large 
temple,  and  a family  of  Mongol  officials,  who  for 
many  years  have  been  our  warm  friends. 

These  people  received  us  cordially,  supposing 
that  we  had  come  for  a summer  outing.  Soon  after- 
ward they  learned  that  we  were  refugees.  Then 
the  young  man,  acting  as  head  of  the  family  in  the 
absence  of  his  father  and  uncle,  donned  his  official 
hat,  robe  and  boots,  drank  wine  to  excess,  and 
came  into  our  room  in  a rage.  “How  can  you  en- 
danger our  lives  by  coming  here?”  he  said.  “The 
Mongols  also  are  Boxers,  and  they  will  want  to 


Mongol  Temple  at  T’on  T'ai 


Through  the  Great  Wall  into  Mongolia  53 


54 


A Flight  For  Life 


kill  us  for  having  sheltered  you.  Besides,  you 
yourselves  will  not  be  safe  here.  You  and  we  have 
always  been  good  friends,  but  now  that  you  are 
fleeing  for  your  lives,  and  sent  north  by  the  gen- 
eral, we  dare  not  show  you  the  friendship  we  feel. 
This  is  not  the  official  guest-house,  but  our  own 
home,  and  your  coming  here  in  these  circum- 
stances is  an  intrusion.  The  guest-house  is  at 
Chassa  Ba1.  You  must  leave  this  place  at  once.” 

To  learn  that  the  Mongols  also  were  Boxers,  was 
quite  a surprise ; yet  why  should  they  not  follow 
the  politics  of  the  government?  We  felt  the  truth 
of  much  that  he  said,  but  were  in  no  mood  to  go, 
as  we  were  exceedingly  tired,  having  had  virtually 
no  sleep  for  sixty  hours.  To  argue  with  him  was 
useless.  We  sat  and  listened  to  his  excited  ha- 
rangue. Presently  his  anger  subsided,  and  he 
caught  sight  of  my  magazine  shot-gun,  which  inter- 
ested him  intensely.  I explained  its  merits  at  great 
length,  to  kill  time.  When  he  became  more  quiet, 
we  begged  him  to  let  us  rest  there  one  night,  and 
go  to  Erh  T’ai  in  the  morning.  To  this  he  reluc- 
tantly consented.  Notwithstanding  our  anxiety  for 
the  morrow,  we  were  glad  to  have  a good  night’s 
sleep. 

‘Twelve  miles  away  to  the  southeast. 


Through  the  Great  Wall  into  Mongolia  55 

The  next  morning  we  started  to  go  to  the  second 
official  post-station.  We  knew  that  we  should  meet 
no  friends  there,  but  it  was  necessary  to  leave  this 
place,  and,  in  order  to  shield  our  kind  host,  we 
must  at  least  pretend  to  take  the  route  of  banished 
convicts.  After  going  a short  distance,  we  came 
to  the  home  of  our  friend,  the  Ta  Shao  Yeh,  a 
wealthy  Mongol  priest.  Stopping  only  to  call  and 
present  our  respects,  we  were  welcomed  most  cor- 
dially. He  insisted  on  our  staying  a day  and  a 
night.  This  enabled  us  to  rest  and  recuperate. 

The  following  day  we  went  northwest  to  Hara 
Oso,  a Mongol  encampment  fifty  miles  from  Kal- 
gan,  on  the  road  leading  toward  Urga.  At  that 
place,  fragrant  with  memories  of  “James  Gilmour 
of  Mongolia,”  where,  during  fifteen  years  past,  we 
had  often  gone  on  preaching  tours,  there  were  quite 
a number  of  friendly  Mongols.  Before  arriving, 
as  the  drivers  left  the  carts  to  drink  some  water  at 
a well,  the  horses  ran  a long  distance  on  the  plain, 
and  one  of  the  carts  overturned,  giving  me  an  ugly 
wound  on  the  hand,  and  causing  Miss  Engh,  who 
was  riding  in  the  vehicle,  to  receive  slight  injuries 
on  the  head  and  arms. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  the  joy  of  our 
party,  and  of  the  Swedish  missionaries  at  Hara  Oso, 


56 


A Flight  For  Life 


when  we  rode  into  their  camp.  The  dangers 
through  which  we  had  come,  as  well  as  those  still 
surrounding  us,  made  us  doubly  appreciate  each 
other’s  company.  Mr.  Larson  had  said  before : 
“When  your  people  and  mine  are  able  to  unite,  we 
shall  make  a strong  company,  much  more  likely  to 
go  safely  through  the  country.” 


CHAPTER  IX 


FIRST  SIGHTS  IN  A STRANGE  LAND 

The  plateau  of  Mongolia  in  midsummer, — who 
can  enumerate  its  beauties?  Carpeted  with  grass, 
and  adorned  with  wild  flowers  of  every  color,  with 
an  expanse  suggesting  immensity  and  freedom, 
and  a stillness  like  the  Sabbath,  it  presents  a strik- 
ing contrast  to  China,  where  the  multitudes  toil  and 
trade,  and  the  farmers  till  every  available  plot  of 
ground.  You  feel  that  you  have  come  into  a differ- 
ent country.  Pinks,  larkspurs,  daisies  of  various 
hues  and  many  other  flowers  delight  the  eye.  The 
Swiss  edelweiss  indicates  the  altitude  of  the  plain, 
which  is  more  than  five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea. 
In  sheltered  nooks,  where  the  soil  is  moistened  by 
running  water,  buttercups  like  those  of  New  Eng- 
land can  be  found.  In  a half  hour’s  walk,  one  can 
gather  twenty  or  thirty  kinds  of  flowers,  and  forty- 
seven  varieties  have  been  collected  by  an  amateur 
in  one  locality  in  a week.  A botanist  could  find 
many  more.  The  plants  bloom  in  the  greatest  pro- 
fusion. To  the  eye  of  the  traveler  or  pleasure- 

57 


5§ 


A Flight  For  Life 


seeker,  the  many-colored  sward  is  simply  ex- 
quisite. 

The  rains  of  July,  which  are  generally  copious, 
make  the  prairie  at  its  best  in  August.  On  the 
occasion  of  our  journey,  as  scarcely  any  rain  had 


Girls'  Boarding  School,  Kalgan. — Miss  Engh  and  Pupils 

fallen  during  an  entire  year,  there  was  little  verdure 
to  be  seen.  Neither  would  the  beauties  of  nature 
be  of  much  importance  to  persons  fleeing  for  their 
lives.  For  this  drought,  threatening  famine,  we 
foreigners  were  thought  to  be  responsible  and 
worthy  of  death.  It  was  believed  that  by  a waving 


First  Sights  in  a Strange  Land  59 

of  the  hand  we  could  sweep  away  clouds  from  the 
sky.  When  we  reached  the  grass-land  north  of  the 
desert,  however,  we  found  it  as  attractive  as  the 
prairie  near  Kalgan  usually  is. 

The  beauties  above  one’s  head  equal  those  be- 
neath his  feet.  In  this  dry  and  clear  air,  with  a 
wide  horizon,  objects  can  be  seen  at  a great  dis- 
tance, and  the  stars  at  night  glow  with  remarkable 
brilliancy.  The  ground  on  which  one  treads  seems 
near  to  heaven.  Tire  air  is  rarified,  and  the  thin 
clouds  floating  low  in  the  sky  assume  fantastic 
forms.  Their  shadows  chase  each  other  over  the 
grassy  plain.  You  breathe  oftener  than  is  your 
wont,  and  every  breath  is  exhilarating.  The  beau- 
tiful green  hills  and  valleys,  with  hundreds  of  cattle 
or  horses  grazing,  is  a sight  that  soothes  one’s 
nerves,  and  conduces  to  healthfulness. 

The  clearness  of  the  atmosphere  gives  rise  to 
optical  illusions  which  are  amusing,  though  some- 
times disappointing.  Gilmour  tells  of  not  being 
able  to  distinguish  between  a rock  and  a tent.  The 
mirage  lifts  up  distant  objects,  and  creates  lakes 
where  there  is  only  dry  land.  You  see  an  object 
on  a hillside,  and  remark  that  it  is  an  eagle.  “No,” 
your  companion  will  say,  “it  is  a rock.”  As  you 
continue  to  watch  it,  an  old  woman  picks  up  her 


6o 


A Flight  For  Life 


basket  and  walks  away.  Once  I saw,  on  a hilltop 
quite  near  me,  what  I supposed  was  a pile  of  stones. 
Mr.  Sprague  insisted  that  it  was  a boy.  To  ascer- 
tain which  of  us  had  made  the  right  conjecture,  we 
climbed  the  hill,  and,  behold,  it  was  a goat ! The 
animal  looked  at  us  demurely,  as  if  it  would  say : 
“How  could  you  make  such  a mistake?”  In  the 
desert  of  Gobi,  I was  surprised  at  seeing,  in  the 
distance  before  us,  a neat-looking  house,  apparently 
of  foreign  construction.  Coming  nearer  to  it,  I 
saw  that  it  consisted  of  telegraph  poles  crossing  a 
hill.  It  gave  one  a sense  of  being  in  dreamland. 

Traveling  in  Mongolia,  you  frequently  hear  the 
warbling  of  a lark.  At  first  you  cannot  fix  its 
location.  When  you  find  it,  you  see  it  fluttering  in 
mid-air,  and  singing  as  if  its  throat  would  burst. 
The  larklets  are  in  the  grass  below.  When  it  comes 
down,  it  is  shrewd  enough  to  land  at  a distance 
from  the  nest.  There  is  also  the  catbird,  which 
ends  a fine  song  with  a mew.  Both  kinds  of  birds 
are  valued  by  the  Chinese,  to  enliven  their  shops 
and  stores,  and  much  skill  is  displayed  in  catching 
them  for  the  market. 

Hawks  and  eagles  are  often  seen  soaring  in  the 
sky  or  resting  on  a rock.  They  find  plenty  to  eat, 
in  a land  abounding  with  field-rats,  lizards  and 


First  Sights  in  a Strange  Land 


61 


other  small  game.  Crows  grow  as  large  as  hens, 
and  perch  on  poles  near  the  tents,  or  on  a camel’s 
back.  The  camel  is  fortunate  if  the  bird  does  not 
pick  and  eat  portions  of  its  flesh.  Ducks,  geese, 
quails  and  other  wild  fowl,  abound  by  the  ponds  and 
lakes.  But  the  birds  most  loved  by  the  Mongols 
are  the  swallows,  that  fly  near  the  ground  with  ap- 
parently tireless  motion,  and  build  their  nests  and 
raise  their  young  in  the  houses  and  tents. 

Standing  on  Mount  Pisgah,  at  the  edge  of  the 
plateau,  one  can  see  range  on  range  of  mountains 
in  three  directions,  and  the  beautiful  prairie  on  the 
north.  Hie  rivers  seem  like  ribbons  in  the  valleys. 
Kalgan,  and  a city  called  “Perfection,”  lie  below  us 
on  the  south.  One  can  see  the  Yiicho  mountains 
capped  with  snow,  other  familiar  peaks  half-way 
to  Peking,  and  to  the  west  some  mountains  in 
Shansi.  Mount  Williams,  close  to  Kalgan,  rising 
eighteen  hundred  feet  above  the  city,  seems  a mere 
foot-hill  of  the  blue  mountains  farther  east.  The 
hills  all  show  the  “tiger-claw,”  for  deep  gullies  have 
been  cut  in  their  sides  by  the  storms  of  ages. 

Looking  around  the  summit  of  Pisgah,  we  find 
that  the  dark  volcanic  rock  contains  black  crystals 
of  tourmaline.  The  Great  Wall  is  here,  with  its 
dilapidated  brick  towers, — a unique  historical  relic. 


62 


A Flight  For  Life 


If  one  studies  the  uneven  surface  of  the  ground, 
he  can  see  where  forts  and  barracks  were  once 
built  for  troops  defending  the  highway  at  this 
strategic  point.  Horses  and  oxen  now  graze  where 
formerly  an  army  lit  its  camp-fires.  Near  by  are  a 
number  of  large  mounds.  In  ancient  times,  there 
were  mound-builders  here,  as  well  as  in  America. 
Ten  groups  of  mounds,  with  from  three  to  seventy 
in  a group,  have  been  found  in  the  Kalgan  region. 
The  Chinese  call  them  “false  grain  heaps,”  and  say 
that  they  were  made  in  time  of  war,  to  be  covered 
with  a thin  layer  of  grain,  and  deceive  the  enemy 
into  thinking  that  the  troops  could  not  be  reduced 
by  starvation.  Such  a trick  would  soon  be  dis- 
covered. More  likely  the  mounds  are  tombs  of 
princes,  or  the  ruins  of  ancient  watch-towers. 

Going  on  past  Yellow  Blossom  Plain,  a strag- 
gling village  of  mud  hovels,  where  Chinese  thieves 
steal  horses  from  all  whom  they  dare  attack,  we 
come  to  Great  Red  Valley,  where  a number  of 
Mongols  live,  some  in  houses  and  some  in  tents. 
Here  the  Russian  merchants  of  Kalgan  spend  the 
summer,  enjoying  the  cool  mountain  air,  and  here 
they  prepared  their  caravan  for  the  journey  to  Si- 
beria, while  we  were  making  ours  ready  at  Hara 
Oso. 


First  Sights  in  a Strange  Land 


63 


A little  farther  on  vve  pass  the  houses  and  stables 
of  the  Manchu  troops,  whose  horses  are  sent  here 
to  graze..  Just  beyond,  the  telegraph  line  to  Urga 
joins  the  road.  Two  miles  to  the  west  there  is  a 
large  spring  of  cold  water,  flowing  out  of  the  rock; 
it  is  a pleasant 
sight  to  see, 
when  one  has 
plenty  of  time. 

Five  miles  north 
brings  us  to 
Borochai  tem- 
ple, a Buddhist 
shrine  full  of 
idols,  with 
houses  at  one 
side  for  the  vi- 
cious and  lazy 
priests.  Little 
piles  of  stones 

are  arranged  in  „ „ T, 

0 Belfry  and  Bell,  Kalgan 

a circle  around 

the  temple,  and  mark  the  path  on  which  the  priests 
walk  in  their  pilgrimage.  Sometimes  men  and 
women  carry  heavy  loads  of  books  om  their  backs 
around  the  temple,  hoping  thereby  to  atone  for 
their  sins. 


64 


A Flight  For  Life 


Just  beyond,  the  valley  broadens  into  a plain, 
which  doubtless  sometime  has  been  a battle-field. 
The  grass  is  thickly  interspersed  with  fleur-de-lis. 
Flocks  and  herds  are  enjoying  their  freedom  and 
abundance  of  food.  At  the  foot  of  a hill  is  the 
abode  of  our  friend,  the  Ta  Shao  Yeh. 

Many  happy  days  have  we  spent  here.  Some- 
times a company  of  missionaries  have  come  for  a 
health  change,  and  stayed  a week  or  even  all  sum- 
mer ; and  the  utmost  of  hospitality  always  was  given 
us.  We  tried  to  repay  the  kindness  of  our  host, 
but  it  was  not  easy  to  show  the  same  measure  of 
cordiality,  in  welcoming  a Tartar  to  our  homes. 
Missionaries  are  human,  and  the  Mongols  are  not 
noted  for  cleanliness. 

Going  north  again,  through  a district  tilled  by 
the  Chinese,  two  ruined  cities  are  passed.  In  the 
first,  which  is  called  “Apricot  Harmony  City,”  the 
foundations  of  a fort  and  granary  can  be  traced. 
The  latter  was  burned  over  six  hundred  years  ago ; 
and  yet  if  you  break  open  the  clinkers  formed  at 
that  time,  you  will  find  lumps  of  burned  millet, 
each  grain  of  which  has  retained  its  distinct  form 
through  all  the  ages.  In  “White  City,”  ten  miles 
farther  north,  the  foundations  of  a palace  recently 
were  dug  up  and  carried  away.  The  stone  was  of 


First  Sights  in  a Strange  Land  65 

the  finest  white  marble,  and  must  have  been 
brought  from  a great  distance.  These  cities  were 
built  by  a Mongol  queen,  and  were  destroyed  in 
a.d.  1368,  when  the  Mongols  were  driven  out  of 
China. 

Beginning  with  the  reign  of  Kublai  Khan,  the 
Mongols  ruled  China  for  a hundred  years ; but  they 
did  not  govern  according  to  the  principles  of  Con- 
fucius, nor  establish  a good  government.  They 
controlled  the  country  by  the  fear  which  their 
ferocity  inspired,  yet  leaving  the  administration 
mostly  in  the  hands  of  the  Chinese,  were  content  as 
long  as  they  kept  the  peace,  and  paid  the  taxes. 
The  latter,  however,  were  a heavy  burden,  because 
of  the  continual  wars.  Attempts  to  subjugate 
Japan  drained  the  country  of  its  resources.  To  sup- 
port the  army  and  garrison  the  country,  one  Mon- 
gol soldier  lived  with  each  ten  families  of  the  Chi- 
nese, and  was  supplied  by  them  with  whatever  he 
might  need.  After  many  years  of  oppression,  the 
people  agreed  that,  at  a certain  hour  in  the  night, 
each  ten  families  should  kill  their  guard.  This  was 
done  to  a great  extent,  and  the  Mongols  who  sur- 
vived, being  beaten  in  battle,  were  glad  to  es- 
cape to  their  original  pasture-lands  in  the  distant 
north. 


66 


A Flight  For  Life 


Ten  miles  beyond  the  “White  City”  is  our  ren- 
dezvous, Hara  Oso.  The  plain  is  easy  to  traverse, 
and  the  catnel-trail  is  almost  as  smooth  as  a floor. 
Once  when  I came  here  on  a preaching  tour,  the 
Chinese  helper  exclaimed : “The  farther  you  go, 
the  more  level  the  land  becomes!” 


CHAPTER  X 


HOW  THE  MONGOLS  LIVE 

The  Mongol’s  home  is  a tent.  Study  the  tent, 
and  you  will  know  the  people. 

In  constructing  a tent,  a circular  platform,  half 
a foot  high  and  ten  or  fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  is 
made  of  turf,  or,  in  the  case  of  the  wealthy,  of 
brick  and  mortar.  On  this,  facing  the  south-east, 
is  erected  a doorway  four  feet  high,  with  folding 
doors.  Attached  to  the  doorposts,  and  extending 
around  the  circle,  is  a latticework  of  wood,  of  the 
same  height,  made  in  sections,  so  that  it  can  be 
taken  apart,  folded  together,  and  carried  on  a 
camel.  A circular  frame,  three  feet  in  diameter,  is 
lifted  up  on  sticks  or  rafters,  little  thicker  than  a 
man’s  thumb,  the  lower  ends  of  which  are  then 
fastened  to  the  top  of  the  lattice.  The  rafters  have 
a slope  of  about  forty  degrees.  Many  others  are 
then  put  in  place,  their  upper  ends  being  inserted 
into  holes  in  the  edge  of  the  wheel  above.  Both 
lattice  and  rafters  are  covered  with  two  or  three 
layers  of  felt,  tied  on  by  home-made  ropes  of 


68 


A Flight  For  Life 


camel’s  hair.  A piece  of  felt  covers  the  circular 
skylight,  half  of  it  being  drawn  back  in  good 
weather,  to  admit  the  sunlight,  and  allow  the  smoke 
of  the  fire  to  escape.  There  is  no  other  window. 
The  felt  not  quite  reaching  the  ground,  there  is 

ventilation  on 
all  sides  in  the 
summer.  O n 
the  approach  of 
cold  weather, 
the  lower  part 
of  the  tent  is 
banked  up  with 
earth. 

Here,  then,  is 
a little  circular 
hut,  in  which 
the  sunshine, 
coming  through 
the  window  above,  slowly  moves  from  one  side  of 
the  room  to  the  other,  and  serves  as  a sun-dial. 
Pretty  little  bureaus,  chests  and  cupboards,  form  a 
circle  against  the  lattice.  Among  these,  at  the  west 
side,  toward  Tibet,  is  a shrine  full  of  bronze  idols 
clothed  in  yellow  silk,  before  which  incense  is  burn- 
ing, and  small  cups  of  wine  are  placed  in  an  orderly 


How  the  Mongols  Live 


69 


array.  At  the  right  side  of  the  door,  as  one  enters, 
are  shelves  holding  jars  of  milk  and  cream,  in  vari- 
ous degrees  of  sourness.  The  floor  is  covered  with 
felt,  with  the  exception  of  the  square  fireplace  in 
the  center,  and  the  amount  and  condition  of  the 
felt  is  an  index  of  wealth  or  poverty.  A poor  man 
will  have  the  bare  ground  as  his  floor,  with  only  a 
time-worn  piece  of  felt  where  most  required  for 
guests,  and  a woolly  sheepskin,  full  of  fleas  or 
something  worse,  which  he  politely  insists  on 
spreading  beneath  his  guest.  The  felts  on  a rich 
man’s  floor  will  be  neat,  and  sewed  in  interesting 
patterns. 

A well-to-do  Mongol  builds  several  tents  side  by 
side  in  a straight  line,  and  behind  them,  if  in  south- 
ern Mongolia,  he  erects  a small  adobe  house.  There 
are  enclosures  fenced  with  turf,  to  be  used  as  pens 
for  horses  and  cattle,  one  of  them  being  reserved 
to  hold  the  winter’s  supply  of  hay.  Before  the  tents 
there  are  frames  for  drying  cheese,  and  at  one  side 
is  a sheepfold,  fenced  with  many  high  poles,  to 
keep  off  the  wolves.  Another  enclosure  for  animals 
is  made  by  digging  a circular  trench,  placing  the 
earth  in  a regular  ridge  outside.  A cow  or  horse 
may  get  down  into  the  ditch,  but  will  then  be  still 
less  able  to  jump  out. 


70 


A Flight  For  Life 


The  tents  are  warm  in  winter,  with  a good  fire 
generously  fed,  but  thick  sheepskin  clothing  is  the 
main  dependence  for  warmth.  In  the  summer, 
which  is  the  rainy  season,  the  tents  are  damp,  even 
though  they  are  occasionally  taken  apart  to  dry. 
For  protection  against  the  weather,  they  are  better 
than  a wigwam,  but  not  as  good  as  an  adobe  house. 

But  this  is  home,1 — and  what  place  can  be 
dearer?  The  home  lacks  much  that  makes  our 
homes  precious,  for  the  gospel  of  love  has  not  yet 
diffused  its  sweetness  in  the  hearts  of  these  poor 
people.  The  husband  divorces  bis  wife,  or  the  wife 
leaves  her  husband,  whenever  inclined  to  do  so. 
They  ought  to  learn  a lesson  from  the  pretty  swal- 
lows that  flit  in  and  out  through  the  skylight  and 
build  their  nest  on  a little  board  hung  under  the 
rafters.  They  never  forsake  each  other  or  their 
young. 

The  traveling  tent,  used  mostly  by  Chinese  mer- 
chants, is  very  different  from  those  above  de- 
scribed. It  has  two  posts  and  a cross-bar  to  hold 
up  the  ridge.  Two  layers  of  coarse  cotton  cloth 
form  the  sides,  and  large  flaps  of  the  same  close  in 
the  ends  at  night.  The  cloth  is  held  by  ropes  at- 
tached to  pegs  driven  in  the  ground.  Such  tents 

1 The  same  word  is  used  for  tent  and  home. 


How  the  Mongols  Live  71 

give  a poor  shelter,  but  are  infinitely  better  than 
nothing. 

The  Chinese  thus  describe  a group  of  Mongol 
tents,  and  the  surprise  with  which  one  sees  them 
for  the  first  time  : — 

“Yuan  k’an,  i tso  fen, 

Chin  k’an,  yeh  yu  men, 

Li  t’ou  hu  shuo  hua ; 

Ch’u  lai  la,  yeh  shih  ko  jen.” 

“Seen  from  afar,  they  look  like  graves.  At  nearer 
view,  each  has  a door.  A gibberish  talking  is 
heard  inside ; and  something  comes  out,  which  is 
also  a man1.” 

As  you  ride  up  to  an  encampment,  you  must 
approach  it  from  the  front,  not  from  any  other 
side,  for  that  would  be  impolite.  The  dogs,  which 
are  fierce  and  not  tied,  rush  out  as  though  they 
would  devour  you.  You  shout  “Nohoi  hure !” 
“Take  care  of  the  dogs !”  and  the  women  and 
children  call  them  off,  throwing  sticks  at  them. 
Then  you  dismount,  hitch  your  horse,  and  proceed 
to  enter  the  tent.  You  must  leave  your  whip  or 
cane  outside,  for  if  not,  the  people  will  think  you 
are  about  to  beat  them  in  their  own  home.  Be 
careful  for  your  head,  as  you  pass  through  the  low 

1 That  is,  it  is  a man,  as  truly  as  yourself, 


72 


A Flight  For  Life 


doorway,  and  do  not  step  on  the  threshold,  nor  hit 
it  with  your  boot,  for  it  is  one  of  their  gods,  and 
you  do  not  want  to  give  needless  offence.  Saluting 
the  people  in  the  tent  with  “Mundo”  (Peace),  you 
turn  to  the  left,  and  sit  on  the  felt-covered  floor. 

As  the  room  is  small,  strict  proprieties  must  be 
observed.  The  place  at  the  right  of  the  door  being 
reserved  for  the  family,  the  guests  must  occupy 
the  opposite  or  western  side.  If  they  wish  to  show 
one  special  honor,  they  invite  and  urge  him  to  sit 
on  the  side  opposite  the  door,  .and  spread  for  him 
a thick  and  handsomely  embroidered  mat,  and  place 
another  behind  his  back.  That  is  the  way  they 
honor  their  priests.  You  may  sit  like  the  Turks 
and  Chinese,  or  sit  on  one  boot,  as  the  Mongols 
do,  clasping  the  knee  of  the  other  leg.  Your  feet 
may  point  toward  the  door,  but  not  toward  the 
idols ; and  you  may  lay  your  hat  on  one  of  the  bu- 
reaus up  toward  the  idols,  but  not  toward  the  door. 
While  we  do  not  wish  to  honor  the  idols,  we  must 
have  some  regard  for  the  feelings  of  the  family. 
One  must  not  let  his  boot  hit  the  grate  in  the 
center  of  the  tent,  for  that  also  is  an  object  of 
worship.  Having  greeted  the  family  repeatedly, 
inquiring  after  the  welfare  of  each  member,  you 
must  also  ask  if  the  animals  are  fat  and  well,  for 


73 


Hozv  the  Mongols  Live 

that  is  the  custom.  The  host  offers  his  snuff-bottle, 
which  you  must  receive  with  both  hands,  bring  to 
your  nose,  and  pretend  to  smell.  If  you  are  an 
accomplished  traveler,  you  will  have  your  own 
snuff-bottle,  with  which  you  could  return  the  com- 
pliment. This  is  as  important  as  hand-shaking  in 
America. 

Once  a Chinese  preacher,  wishing  to  impress  on 
the  Mongols  the  idea  that  their  books  of  Buddhist 
prayers  were  of  no  value,  and  not  being  able  to 
speak  in  their  language,  pretended  to  throw  the 
books  out  of  the  door.  V ery  naturally  they  replied 
by  seizing  his  Bible,  and  trying  to  throw  it  out. 
His  method  was  hardly  the  right  one  for  winning 
the  love  of  the  people  and  teaching  them  a better 
way. 

But  here  you  are  in  their  little  round  home,  and 
taking  mental  notes  of  all  that  you  see.  A tiny  table 
or  box  is  placed  before  you,  perhaps  a foot  long, 
half  a foot  wide  and  a 'few  inches  in  height.  On  it 
is  placed  a plate  containing  strips  of  white  cheese, 
sour  or  sweet,  clean  or  the  opposite,  and  a cup  or 
bowl  of  salt  tea.  You  receive  each  favor  with 
both  hands,  to  show  your  whole-hearted  apprecia- 
tion. You  must  at  least  taste  wfiat  is  offered,  so 
as  not  to  offend  the  host.  If  things  are  not  perfect- 


74 


A Flight  For  Life 


ly  tidy,  one  must  not  be  fastidious.  This  is  prairie 
style.  The  tea  has  been  made  by  boiling  together 
water,  tea,  salt  and  cream.  Its  value  depends  on 
the  proportion  of  cream,  your  condition  as  to  thirst, 
and  your  familiarity  with  the  beverage.  It  was  a 
newcomer,  unused  to  the  ways  of  the  land,  who 
pronounced  it  “dish-water.”  If  you  are  thirsty 
from  a long  ride  in  the  sun  and  wind,  or  if  you 
have  traveled  much  in  Mongolia,  you  will  relish  the 
drink.  It  at  least  has  the  merit  of  having  been 
boiled.  If  taken  in  faith,  without  asking  questions, 
it  slakes  one’s  thirst,  soothes  the  weary  nerves,  and 
enables  one  to  wait  patiently  while  the  dinner  is 
being  prepared. 

The  food  of  the  Mongols  is  more  palatable  than 
that  of  the  Chinese,  because  more  thoroughly 
cooked1,  and  because  mutton,  milk,  cream  and 
butter  are  freely  used.  Sometimes  an  entire 
haunch  of  mutton,  with  the  large  tail  of  pure  fat, 
will  be  set  before  guests  as  their  dinner.  Each  per- 
son helps  himself  by  means  of  a long  knife,  a pair 
of  chopsticks,  and  his  fingers.  Bowls  of  rice  boiled 
in  mutton  gravy  complete  the  feast.  At  other 

'The  Chinese  say,  that  to  only  partly  cook  the  food  is 
economy  of  fuel ; and  that  food  thus  prepared  will  keep  off 
hunger  for  a longer  time  than  it  would  if  thoroughly 
done. 


How  the  Mongols  Live 


75 


Willow  Tree  (Worshiped)  Kalgan 


/6  A Flight  For  Life 

times  there  will  be  dough-strings  boiled  in  cream, 
or  thick  griddle-cakes  fried  in  butter.  If  one  is 
fond  of  drinking  milk,  he  can  have  plenty  in  the 
summer,  but  not  at  other  seasons,  because  the  cows 
are  so  poorly  fed.  He  will  have  the  women  use 
his  clean  tin  pail  or  cup  for  the  milking,  instead 
of  their  wooden  milk-pails,  which  are  never 
washed.  In  respect  to  food,  the  Mongols  who  live 
near  the  Chinese  have  an  advantage  over  those  in 
the  interior  of  the  country  in  being  able  to  buy 
rice,  millet,  potatoes,  eggs  and  fruit. 

Perhaps  you  have  brought  your  own  supply  of 
food,  as  foreigners  often  do.  A Chinese  cook,  a 
bellows,  a stew-pan  and  griddle,  and  a few  tins  of 
foreign  provisions,  make  life  much  more  enjoyable. 
For  some  persons,  these  things  would  be  essential 
to  health.  In  no  way  can  you  win  the  hearts  of 
the  natives  more  readily,  than  by  bestowing  upon 
them  a taste  of  your  delicacies ; but,  whatever  you 
give  to  any  one,  the  same  must  be  given  to  each 
person  present  or  they  will  be  envious  and  disa- 
greeable. 

At  length  you  have  an  opportunity  to  see  how 
they  eat.  Your  host  draws  a shallow  wooden  bowl 
from  his  bosom,  where  all  sorts  of  things  are  kept. 
If  he  wipes  it,  he  does  so  with  a blackened  cloth, 


How  the  Mongols  Live 


77 


that  is  used  for  various  purposes.  Towel,  handker- 
chief and  napkin,  are  all  the  same  in  his  language. 
Then  he  puts  in  the  bowl  parched  millet  or  oatmeal, 
and  pours  in  milk  or  tea.  With  noisy  lips,  to  show 
his  appreciation,  he  eats  and  drinks  at  the  same 
time,  and,  having  licked  the  bowl  clean,  puts  it 
back  in  its  former  place.  Holding  a piece  of  meat 
in  his  hand,  he  grasps  it  with  his  teeth,  and  slashes 
a knife  in  front  of  his  face,  thereby  cutting  off  a 
mouthful.  It  does  not  injure  his  nose,  for  that  is 
flat,  and  the  habits  of  his  ancestors  have  produced 
skill  in  this  use  of  the  knife.  Wishing  to  wipe  off 
the  food  that  is  left  on  his  face,  he  draws  his 
hands  over  his  lips,  and  rubs  them  down  his 
sleeves,  gown  and  trousers,  all  the  way  to  his  boots. 
That  his  clothes  become  soiled  is  something  that 
he  does  not  notice.  The  Mongols  never  wash  their 
clothes ; they  wear  them  out,  and  then  buy  new. 

After  a hot  day,  in  which  one  misses  the  shade  of 
trees,  the  long,  cool  evening  is  most  refreshing. 
While  the  shadows  are  lengthening,  the  calves  are 
brought  home,  and  tied  by  their  noses  to  a rope 
fastened  to  the  ground.  If  your  host  is  a man  of 
wealth  you  may  see  twenty  of  these  little  innocents 
marshaled  in  a line.  The  cows  come  home  of  them- 
selves, and  are  tied  to  other  ropes.  The  women  do 


78 


A Flight  For  Life 


all  the  work,  in  all  sorts  of  weather,  while  the  men 
smoke  and  talk  business,  or  perhaps  care  for  the 
horses  and  camels.  The  calves  know  that  they  are 
to  help  do  the  milking,  and  are  eager  for  the  privi- 
lege. Without  the  help  of  the  calf,  no  milk  could 
be  obtained, — a fact  which  foreigners  deride  and 
doubt,  but  have  not  been  able  to  disprove.  The 
sun  sets  in  glory,  and  the  twilight  is  so  prolonged, 
as  to  remind  one  of  the  land  of  the  midnight  sun. 
The  beautiful  green  prairie,  the  lowing  of  the  cattle, 
the  home-coming  of  a thousand  sheep,  and  the  leis- 
urely manner  of  Oriental  life,  impart  the  feeling 
that  you  are  not  in  the  modern  world,  but  are  a 
guest  of  Abraham  or  Job. 

As  daylight  will  come  early,  the  hours  must  be 
improved  in  sleep.  The  evening  has  been  spent 
out-of-doors.  In  the  winter  it  would  be  passed  in 
the  tent,  around  a blazing  fire,  with  story-telling  or 
music  from  a two-stringed  fiddle.  Custom  requires 
one  to  sleep  with  his  head  toward  the  idols,  and 
his  feet  pointing  away  from  them,  or  toward  the 
door.  This  is  not  considered  as  worship,  but  as 
the  only  orderly  method  of  lying  down  for  sleep. 
A new-born  calf  or  lamb  is  brought  in  for  shelter. 
The  flap  of  felt  is  drawn  over  the  skylight,  and  all 
go  to  rest;  but  sleep  is  broken  by  the  barking 


How  the  Mongols  Live 


79 


of  dogs,  and  our  host  rises  frequently,  to  see 
whether  the  animals  are  in  danger  from  thieves  or 
wolves. 

Morning  dawns,  and  the  first  question  asked  by 
every  one  is:  “Did  you  sleep  well?’’  The  Mongols 
do  not  necessarily  wash  their  faces,  but  when  one 
does  so,  he  sucks  the  water  into  his  mouth,  blows 
it  out  into  his  hands,  and  rubs  it  on  his  face.  The 
women  prepare  tea  as  early  as  possible.  By  fre- 
quently drinking  tea  and  eating  cheese,  the  appe- 
tites of  all  are  kept  waiting  until  night,  when  men, 
women,  children  and  dogs,  eat  the  only  meal  of  the 
day. 

The  women  do  all  the  hard  work,  except  what 
can  be  done  on  horseback.  In  the  spring  and 
autumn,  they  gather  fuel  for  the  whole  year.  The 
stacks  of  black  “argol”1  near  every  home  bear  wit- 
ness to  their  industry.  When  water  is  wanted,  a 
woman  trudges  off  to  the  well  in  her  boots,  and 
presently  brings  back  a heavy  load  with  her  two 
buckets  and  pole.  She  never  thinks  of  being  on 
an  equality  with  a man  or  a boy,  or  that  she  ought 
to  be  excused  from  going  to  get  the  water.  If  a 
wall  needs  to  be  built,  or  a mud-house  plastered, 
and  the  family  is  not  rich,  the  women  do  the  work, 

1 That  is,  dried  dung  of  any  animal. 


80  A Flight  For  Life 

chiefly  with  their  hands,  using  balls  of  mud1  as 
bricks. 

The  husband  goes  away  on  long  journeys,  and 
the  wife  becomes  skilful  in  buying  what  may  be 
needed,  and  making  the  most  of  her  scant  supplies. 
She  sells  cheese  and  fuel  to  passing  caravans,  and 
is  paid  in  flour,  grain  or  tea.  Her  lips  are  always 
moving  in  prayer.  Whenever  her  hands  are  free 
from  work,  which  may  not  be  often,  she  fingers  her 
beads.  Perhaps  she  is  praying  that  she  may  be  a 
man  in  the  next  life.  Her  lot  in  this  world  is  not 
happy,  and  her  hope  of  a joyous  future  is  not 
bright.  She  is  not  a slave,  like  her  Chinese  sisters, 
but  liberty  is  perverted,  and  a life  with  little  moral 
teaching  and  less  restraint  is  a life  of  sin  and  sor- 
row'. While  burdened  with  work,  and  caring  for 
the  children  alone,  with  no  help  from  her  husband, 
she  suffers  from  rheumatism  and  many  other  ail- 
ments. She  is  sick  much  more  than  women  in 
Western  lands.  She  always  wears  thinner  garments 
than  her  husband,  and  has  to  sleep,  even  in  the 
coldest  weather,  in  the  lowliest  and  least  healthful 
place,  on  the  ground  at  the  door  of  the  tent. 

* Or  perhaps  balls  of  cow’s  dung. 


CHAPTER  XI 


MORE  OF  THEIR  CUSTOMS 

The  Mongols  are  a simple-minded  folk,  easily 
pleased,  easily  angered,  and  inclined  to  speak  the 
truth.  For  a pecuniary  advantage,  as  in  business, 
they  will  prevaricate.  They  are  childlike  bar- 
barians, unlike  the  smart  and  treacherous  Chinese. 
After  living  among  the  latter,  where  everything 
must  be  watched,  unless  securely  locked,  it  is  a 
mental  relief  to  go  into  Mongolia,  where  the  ten- 
dencies to  thievishness  and  hypocrisy  are  not  so 
highly  developed. 

Here  business  is  generally  barter.  Chinese  cash 
is  seldom  used.  It  is  too  heavy  to  be  carried  con- 
veniently on  a horse.  Bricks  of  tea  are  used  as 
money  in  the  north,  but  lumps  of  silver  are  the 
universal  currency.  They  must  be  carefully 
weighed.  The  business  man  carries  his  little  ivory 
balances  wherever  he  goes.  The  quality  of  the  sil- 
ver is  tested  in  the  argol  fire.  The  smoke  gives 
it  a black  color,  but  that  is  no  matter. 

The  Mongols  have  so  little  experience  in  buying 
81 


82 


A Flight  For  Life 


and  selling,  that  they  know  nothing  of  the  market 
price,  and  have  exaggerated  ideas  of  the  value  of 
their  goods.  They  are  honest  in  asking  high 
prices,  for  they  do  not  know  better ; but  the  Chi- 
nese knowingly  ask  several  times  what  a thing  is 
worth,  expecting  the  buyer,  if  in  full  possession  of 
his  mental  faculties,  to  dicker  a long  time,  and 
insist  on  a much  lower  price. 

Having  no  commercial  instinct,  the  Mongol  is 
terribly  cheated  by  his  more  civilized  neighbor. 
Having  offered  him  tea,  tobacco,  alcohol  and 
opium,  and  made  him  as  drunk  as  possible,  the 
Chinese  trader,  for  one  hundred  dollars’  worth  of 
animals  or  goods,  gives  him  credit  for  thirty  dollars, 
and  squares  the  account  with  perhaps  five  dollars' 
worth  of  Chinese  wares. 

Hospitality  is  a famous  virtue  of  the  Mongols. 
It  is  appreciated  when  one,  traveling  over  an  ap- 
parently boundless  plain,  is  overtaken  by  a thunder- 
storm, or  by  the  relentless  approach  of  night.  Any 
shelter  that  can  be  found  is  gratefully  accepted.  A 
stranger  is  sure  of  a cordial  welcome,  unless  some 
one  in  the  tent  is  sick.  A bowl  of  food  and  a place 
to  sleep  are  always  freely  given.  There  are  no  inns 
or  hotels.  When  any  one  travels,  he  receives  a 
return  for  the  entertainment  he  has  given  to  others. 


More  of  Their  Customs  83 

A poor  man  will  have  two  horses,  whose  feed 
costs  him  nothing,  except  a little  work  every  au- 
tumn making  hay.  He  can  ride  with  relays  of  horses 
to  any  distance,  for,  at  the  beginning  of  each  day’s 


Kalgan  Women 

Bible  Woman  in  White  Mrs.  Yen  in  Mourning 

journey,  he  leaves  his  horse  in  exchange  for  a fresh 
one.  The  horses  are  not  injured,  as  each  one  can 
rest  and  graze  the  most  of  the  time.  In  due  season 
the  rider  comes  back  by  the  same  route,  and  brings 
each  horse  back  to  its  owner.  This  is  the  common 
method  of  traveling,  and  speaks  well  for  the 


84 


A Flight  For  Life 


mutual  confidence  of  the  people.  Hospitality  being 
so  sure  and  universal,  no  money  for  road  expenses 
is  needed,  even  for  a journey  of  a thousand  miles. 
In  what  other  country  is  it  so  easy  for  a poor  man 
to  travel? 

In  this  vast  territory,  with  its  scattered  popula- 
tion, the  horse  and  camel  are  all-important. 
Steam  and  electricity  have  not  yet  rendered  them 
unnecessary.  All  the  horses  of  a village  graze  in 
one  herd,  for  economy  of  labor  in  watching  them. 
Once  in  a year,  the  colts  are  branded.  The  Mon- 
gols love  their  favorite  riding  ponies,  and  are  kind 
to  all  their  animals.  The  Chinese  are  often  cruel 
to  theirs,  regarding  them  only  from  a financial 
standpoint.  When  one  sees  scores  or  hundreds 
of  horses  on  the  prairie,  grazing  or  resting,  and 
enjoying  their  freedom,  it  makes  one  commiserate 
their  underfed  and  overloaded  fellows  in  China. 

To  catch  a horse  in  the  open  field,  a pole  with  a 
rope  fastened  at  one  end,  and  tied  around  the  pole 
in  a loop,  is  used.  Riding  on  a swift  horse,  one 
slips  the  loop  over  the  head  of  the  other  horse,  and 
twists  the  pole,  which  quickly  subdues  it.  In  a 
large  enclosure,  a man  runs  by  the  horse,  puts  his 
arms  around  its  neck,  and  holds  on  with  splendid 
pluck,  the  animal  struggling  to  break  loose,  until 


More  of  Their  Customs 


85 


it  is  secured  with  a rope.  The  commonest  device 
for'  catching  a horse  is  to  pretend  to  untie  the 
fetters  on  its  legs, — no  matter  whether  there  are 
any  or  not ; it  will  stand  still  for  this  to  be  done, 
and  so  be  caught. 

The  Mongols  learn  to  ride  at  the  age  of  thirteen. 
Before  that  time  they  would  hardly  have  sufficient 
strength.  Boys  are  selected  to  ride  in  the  races, 
because  of- their  light  weight.  After  riding  around 
the  stone  altar,  and  receiving  a blessing  from  the 
priests,  including  a sprinkling  of  the  horses  with 
mare's  milk,  the  boys  ride  leisurely  to  some  place 
ten  or  fifteen  miles  away,  and  then  race  back. 
Sometimes  one  or  more  fall  from  their  horses  on 
the  way,  or  when  arriving  at  the  goal,  and  a few 
receive  fatal  injuries. 

While  the  people  wait  for  the  racers  to  go  and 
return,  they  are  entertained  with  an  exhibition  of 
wrestling.  The  Mongols  are  fond  of  this  sport, 
often  practice  it  in  private,  and  acquire  strength 
and  skill.  A priest  and  layman1  are  pitted  against 
each  other.  After  paying  their  respects  to  the 

1 The  priests  have  shaven  heads.  All  other  men  have 
queues  like  the  Chinese,  and  are  called  “black  men,”  from 
the  color  of  the  hair.  Wrestling  is  always  a struggle  be- 
tween the  clergy  and  laity.  This  illustrates  the  fact  that 
religious  and  ecclesiastical  ideas  are  the  ones  that  dominate 
the  Mongol  mind. 


86 


A Flight  For  Life 


presiding  officer,  who  may  be  a Living  Buddha  or 
other  magnate,  they  dance  around  on  the  green 
turf,  in  a large  ring  of  gorgeously  attired  specta- 
tors,1 each  wrestler  trying  to  gain  the  advantage  in 
taking  hold.2  Then  follows  a splendid  contest  of 
physical  strength,  a pulling  and  struggling  and  bal- 
ancing. Their  bare  muscles  quiver  under  the  tre- 
mendous strain.  A favorite  method  is  to  try  to  lift 
one's  opponent  in  the  air ; when  this  is  accom- 
plished, it  is -easy  to  throw  him.  At  last  one  falls; 
and  the  victor,  with  gestures  of  the  wildest  joy,  in 
which  feet  and  hands  are  equally  active,  runs  to 
kneel  before  the  presiding  officer,  who  rewards  him 
with  a few  pieces  of  cheese.  These  he  flings  in  the 
air,  as  he  goes  to  join  the  spectators.  The  small 
boys  scramble  for  the  cheese,  and  a fresh  pair  of 
wrestlers  enter  the  arena. 

The  pole  and  rope,  used  in  catching  horses,  are 
also  of  service  in  capturing  a wolf.  If  sheep  or 
other  animals  have  been  attacked  repeatedly,  and 

1 All  the  priests  are  clad  in  red,  purple  or  yellow.  The 
women  are  arrayed  in  all  their  ornaments,  their  elaborate 
headdresses  dangling  with  silver  and  coral,  and  even  the 
children  wearing  their  best  and  brightest  clothes.  Many 
have  come  from  afar  to  see  the  sights,  the  women  riding 
horses  astride,  as  well  as  the  men. 

2 Once  I saw  a lama  grasp  one  hand  of  the  layman,  and 
quickly  go  backward  in  a circular  line,  throwing  his  oppo- 
nent by  centrifugal  force,  when  the  contest  seemed  hardly 
begun. 


More  of  Their  Customs 


8 7 


patience  is  exhausted,  two  men  watch  at  night,  one 
armed  with  pole  and  rope,  and  the  other  with  a 
forked  stick.  When  the  wolf  comes,  the  men  chase 
him  on  horseback,  till  he  is  exhausted,  and  cannot 
run  farther.  Then  one  catches  him  with  the  pole 
and  rope,  and  the  other  pins  his  head  to  the  ground 
with  the  forked  stick.  The  first  dismounts,  and, 
taking  out  the  long  knife  that  a Mongol  always 
carries,  skins  the  wolf  alive.  Then  they  let  him 
free,  and  he  goes  and  tells  the  other  wolves  that  the 
Mongols  are  terrible  fellows.  The  flesh  dries, 
cracks  and  bleeds,  and  after  three  or  four  days  of 
agony,  the  poor  creature  dies.  The  Mongols  were 
afraid  to  kill  him,  because  their  religion  teaches 
them  that  taking  life  is  sin;  so  they  satisfied  their 
feelings  of  revenge,  without  violating  their  con- 
scientious scruples.  Besides,  they  dared  not  let 
loose  the  devil,  whom  they  thought  to  be  incarnate 
in  the  wolf. 

The  Chinese  being  timid,  wolves  attack  and  de- 
vour them ; but  they  run  away  from  a Mongol. 
The  Chinese,  none  too  clean  themselves,  ridicule 
the  filth  of  the  Mongols,  and  say  it  is  their  odor 
that  scares  off  the  wolf.  Their  sheepskin  garments, 
full  of  argol  smoke  and  creosote,  naturally  are  of- 
fensive to  civilized  men ; but  the  Mongols  do  not 


88 


A Flight  For  Life 


perceive  the  smell,  for  they  are  used  to  it,  and 
live  so  much  in  the  open  air.  If  one  of  them  should 
notice  it,  it  would  doubtless  be  a pleasant  reminder 
of  home. 

A drunken  Mongol  is  frequently  seen,  and  is  to 
be  feared,  because  he  is  utterly  unreasonable,  and  is 
liable  to  use  his  dagger.  Their  own  wine,  made 
from  mare's  milk,  does  not  intoxicate  so  quickly, 
nor  make  them  so  crazy,  as  the  alcohol  which  they 
buy  from  the  Chinese.  That  affects  them  far 
more  seriously  than  it  does  the  Celestials.  Alcohol 
m Mongolia  is  as  bad  as  opium  in  China.  When  a 
drunken  or  notoriously  bad  man  comes  to  a house, 
to  rest  and  drink  tea,  the  women  pour  the  tea  for 
him,  fulfilling  the  requirements  of  etiquette,  while 
the  man  climbs  to  the  roof,  from  which  advanta- 
geous position  he  holds  a conversation  with  the 
visitor,  as  if  seated  at  his  side. 

The  Mongols  become  used  to  the  cold  climate, 
and  in  October,  wdien  snow  was  on  the  ground, 
and  we  who  had  come  from  Kalgan  were  wearing 
flannels  and  furs,  the  Mongol  babies  wrere  running 
naked  out-of-doors,  as  if  it  w^ere  midsummer.  Even 
the  flies  are  accustomed  to  the  cold  weather,  and 
are  lively  after  those  farther  south  have  been  killed 
by  the  frost. 


More  of  Their  Customs  89 

Haymaking  is  a busy  season  on  this  plain.  The 
men  and  women  go  to  the  work  together.  Their 
scythe-blades,  a foot  and  a half  in  length,  are 
fastened  to  straight  handles  eight  or  ten  feet  long. 


Chinese  Carpenters 

Custom  requires  that  the  grass  near  a village  should 
be  reserved  as  pasture  for  the  animals,  and  there- 
fore the  hay  must  be  cut  at  a distance.  An  ox-cart 
is  used  to  bring  it  home.  Chinese  workmen  come 


90 


A Flight  For  Life 


from  afar  to  help  in  the  haying,  but  only  the 
wealthy  can  hire  them,  for  they  demand  high 
wages,  perhaps  twenty  cents  a day.  Every  one 
must  lay  up  some  hay  for  emergencies.  In  the 
winter,  the  horses  and  camels,  cattle  and  sheep, 
are  expected  to  pawr  away  the  snow,  and  find  dead 
grass  enough  for  their  sustenance.  If  the  snow 
should  be  unusually  deep,  or  evenly  distributed,  and 
not  blown  into  drifts,  the  animals  must  be  fed. 
Sometimes  they  starve  and  die  in  large  numbers. 
In  such  a case,  the  people  are  impoverished  and 
greatly  distressed.  Yet  laziness  is  such  a strong 
habit,  that  generally  too  little  hay  is  cut.  To  the 
more  provident,  however,  if  living  near  a trade 
route,  where  there  will  be  a steady  demand,  hay 
is  a profitable  crop.  One  man  told  me  that,  by 
cutting  hay  three  months,  and  selling  it  to  travel- 
ers, he  could  support  himself  and  family  for  the 
entire  year. 

The  Mongols  are  not  anxious,  like  the  Chinese, 
who  live  from  hand  to  mouth,  and  are  always  in 
fear  of  starving.  That  is  almost  an  unavoidable 
result  of  a crowded  population,  combined  with  a 
general  lack  of  education.  But  the  Mongols  have 
so  scant  a population,  and  so  many  animals,  that 
it  would  be  well-nigh  impossible  for  them  to  starve. 


More  of  Their  Customs 


9i 


When  hungry,  they  merely  kill  another  sheep.  A 
poor  man  will  keep  goats,  and  live  on  their  milk, 
while  they  prance  and  fight  on  the  roof  of  his  tent. 
The  very  poorest  have  some  relations  or  friends, 
who  would  help  them  to  survive.  No  one  would 
refuse  to  give  a poor  man  a little  food.  The  result 
is,  that  the  people  as  a whole  are  cheerful,  and  even 
jovial. 

Once  it  was  my  good  fortune  to  see  something 
of  a wedding  in  high  life.  I went  to  visit  the  Am- 
ban,  an  official  with  whom  we  were  acquainted.  As 
he  weighed  about  four  hundred  pounds,  he  had  to 
have  a cart  and  a chair  made  especially  strong  for 
his  use.  As  soon  as  I reached  his  home,  a sheep 
was  brought  to  the  tent  in  which  I was  to  lodge, 
and  I was  asked  in  what  way  I would  prefer  to 
have  it  killed.  Though  I pitied  the  sheep,  I must 
not  seem  ungrateful  for  the  gift.  It  was  thought 
that  I might  have  some  prejudice  as  to  the  manner 
of  slaughter,  like  that  of  the  Mohammedans.  I 
said  that  they  might  kill  it  in  their  own  way.  Their 
method  was  most  interesting,  and  not  horrifying, 
as  is  the  way  of  the  Chinese.  Pulling  a little  wool 
from  the  sheep’s  breast,  and  making  a small  cut 
through  the  skin,  a hand  was  inserted,  and  one  of 
the  arteries  near  the  heart  was  pulled  apart,  causing 


92 


A Flight  For  Life 


a quick  and  apparently  bloodless  death.  The  men 
took  it  into  my  tenit,  to  cut  up  the  meat.  The 
lattice  was  curtained  with  handsomely  colored  silk, 
and  the  furniture  was  of  the  best.  To  my  surprise, 
they  kept  all  of  the  blood  in  the  skin,  and  nothing 
was  spattered.  The  food  was  made  in  the  highest 
style  of  Chinese  culinary  art,  with  extras  supplied 
from  a Mongolian  dairy  farm. 

In  the  evening  the  bride  was  brought  to  the 
home,  dressed  in  black,  riding  on  a black  pony,  and 
leaning  over  its  head  as  a sign  of  humility.  The 
ladies  who  welcomed  her  were  clad  in  silks  of  all 
colors,  with  skirts'  that  swept  the  ground,  and  wore 
headdresses  of  silver,  with  many  strings  of  corals, 
pearls,  and  nuggets  of  silver  and  gold,  reaching 
from  their  heads  almost  to  their  feet.2  The  father 
of  the  groom  was  purposely  absent,  according  to 
custom.  The  bride  knelt  to  worship  heaven  and 
earth,  and  each  member  of  the  family.  During  the 
evening  we  heard  fine  singing,  unlike  the  Chinese 

1 In  China  the  women  wear  no  skirts,  except  on  great  oc- 
casions. Some  ladies  of  means,  invited  to  a feast,  wore 
skirts  on  the  way  thither,  but  on  their  arrival  took  them  off, 
and  carefully  folded  them  up,  to  be  taken  home.  The  Man- 
chu  and  Mongol  women  always  wear  long  dresses  or 
gowns,  which  they  do  not  tie  at  the  waist.  Therefore  “gir- 
dleless” is  the  Mongolian  word  for  woman.  “Mothers”  is 
used  instead  in  the  north. 

5 One  of  these  elaborate  headresses,  with  all  its  pendants, 
would  be  worth  about  $400  U.  S.  gold. 


More  of  Their  Customs 


93 


attempts  at  music, — several  voices  uniting  sweetly 
in  high  and  prolonged  tones,  that  were  very  pleas- 
ing to  the  ear.  I tried  to  get  a copy  of  the  words, 
but  was  told  that  they  never  are  written,  being 
known  only  to  certain  professional  choirs,  who 
earn  their  living  by  singing  on  great  occasions. 

The  next  morning  the  bride  went  to  each  tent  in 
the  encampment,  made  very  low  bows  to  the  rela- 
tives and  guests,  and  presented  each  one  with  a 
strip  of  colored  silk.  This  could  be  kept  as  a me- 
mento, or  be  used  as  money  in  making  purchases. 
The  “hatag”  is  much  used  in  this  way  in  the  north. 

A funeral  is  a simple  affair.  When  a priest  has 
died,  a service  is  held  in  a field,  the  body  is  placed 
in  a sitting  posture,  like  a Buddha,  and  is  cremated.’ 
Afterward  each  person  present  throws  a stone  on 
the  ashes,  and  the  monument  is  already  made. 
In  the  case  of  any  one  not  a priest,  the  body  is 
stripped  bare,  placed  on  an  ox-cart,  and  taken  to 
some  place  not  near  to  any  village  or  road.  Then 
the  cart  is  driven  furiously,  and  the  body  is  jolted 
off,  the  driver  not  looking  back  on  the  way  home. 
Quite  likely  he  would  not  dare  to  look  back,  lest 
he  might  see  a demon  chasing  him.  The  corpse  is 

1 Argol  is  the  fuel  commonly  used  for  this  purpose,  but 
wood  would  be  used  in  the  north. 


94 


A Flight  For  Life 


left  where  it  fell,  for  the  birds  and  beasts  to  devour. 
The  theory  is,  that  the  sooner  it  is  completely 
destroyed,  the  earlier  the  soul  will  be  released  from 
purgatory,  and  will  be  born  in  this  world  again,  by 
the  process  of  transmigration. 

The  most  delightful  sight  in  Mongolia,  apart  from 
the  beauties  of  nature,  is  the  Midsummer  Festival. 
It  is  held  at  every  considerable  temple,  on  the  four- 
teenth and  fifteenth  days  of  the  sixth  moon.  The 
people,  after  having  witnessed  a grand  procession 
of  priests  in  magnificent  costumes,  arrange  them- 
selves in  a large  circle  in  front  of  the  temple.  They 
are  all  in  holiday  attire,  arrayed  in  brilliant  colors, 
surrounding  the  green  sward.  If  the  weather  is 
not  stormy,  the  sky,  with  its  puffy  and  foamy 
clouds,  adds  its  charms  to  the  scene  below. 
Trumpets  are  blown,  and  two  boys,  with  masks 
representing  white-haired  men  with  long  beards, 
come  slowly  out  of  the  temple,  and  walk  wearily 
around.  Having  gone  back,  they  come  again  with 
death-masks,  and  dance  most  comically,  to  the 
sound  of  trumpet  and  drum.  Men  follow  in  pairs, 
with  masks  representing  the  heads  and  horns  of 
many  kinds  of  animals,  a few  of  which  are  fabulous. 
Then  come  others,  with  gorgeous  robes,  and 
crowns  adorned  with  peacock  feathers,  personating 


More  of  Their  Customs 


95 


the  gods.  There  is  no  confusion,  but  a solemn 
pantomime  dance  to  the  sound  of  music,  each  two 
retiring  before  the  next  come  out.  The  perform- 
ance was  most  pleasing,  and  contained  nothing 
offensive  to  good  taste.  If  it  could  be  freed  from 
its  idolatrous  associations,  and  be  presented  to 
Western  audiences,  it  would  be  a delight  to  all.  If 
Buddhism  is  to  be  replaced  by  Christianity,  as  we 
hope  and  believe,  it  would  seem  as  if  this  cere- 
mony, so  quaint  and  harmless,  might  be  retained, 
perhaps  not  by  this  people,  but  by  some  others,  as 
a curious  relic  of  bygone  times. 

The  greatest  event  in  a Mongol’s  life  is  a pil- 
grimage to  a sacred  shrine  in  Shansi,  called  Wu  T’ai 
Shan,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  south  southwest 
from  Kalgan.  One  visit  there  is  said  to  ensure 
happiness  in  the  future  life, — regardless  of  one’s 
conduct  in  this  world, — and  if  one  can  go  there 
several  times,  it  will  make  him  happy  in  the  same 
number  of  lifetimes  hereafter.  Such  being  the 
case,  it  is  not  strange  that  some  persons  strive  to 
go  there  once  in  each  year. 

In  the  autumn  or  early  winter,  many  companies 
make  this  journey.  They  go  on  camels  and  horses, 
with  loads  of  valuable  presents  to  the  gods.  Clad 
in  their  best,  they  appear  like  rich  people  traveling 


96 


A Flight  For  Life 


for  pleasure.  They  go  to  Peking,  worship  at  the 
Mongol  temples  there,  and  then  proceed  several 
days'  distance  to  the  ‘‘Five  Terraces”  (Wu  T’ai)  in 
Shansi,  where  the  mountains  rise  to  the  height  of 
ten  thousand  feet,  and  in  the  many  temples,  built 
all  the  way  up  the  mountain,  the  priests  are  wait- 
ing to  receive  the  offerings  of  the  devout.  The 
visitor  is  treading  on  holy  ground.  If  he  has  any 
ailment  of  the  llesh,  he  may  have  it  healed  through 
prayer.  If  he  has  made  the  pilgrimage  for  the 
benefit  of  some  one  else  that  person  will  receive 
surprisingly  great  mercies  for  both  body  and  soul, 
in  his  far-away  home.  The  pilgrim  worships  and 
presents  gifts  at  every  shrine,  gives  away  all  his 
animals,  and  returns  hundreds  of  weary  miles  on 
foot,  begging  as  he  goes.  All  the  way,  both  going 
and  returning,  he  counts  his  beads,  or  swings  the 
prayer-wheel  in  his  hand. 

In  some  cases,  especially  if  praying  for  healing, 
or  fulfilling  a vow,  the  devotee  falls  full  length  on 
the  ground,  rises  and  stands  where  his  head  was, 
and  repeats  the  process,  measuring  with  his  own 
body  the  immense  distance  between  his  home  and 
Wu  T’ai.  It  may  be  a thousand  miles  or  more,  but 
his  mind  is  desperately  in  earnest,  and  the  distance, 
difficulties  and  dangers,  do  not  appal  him.  In  the 


More  of  Their  Customs 


97 


country  where  people  believe  themselves  saved 
from  sin  by  such  works,  the  man,  if  he  survives  and 
returns  home,  is  honored  as  a saint. 


CHAPTER  XII 
PREPARING  THE  CARAVAN 

“Ye  have  compassed  this  mountain  long  enough;  turn 
you  northward.” 

At  Hara  Oso  there  are  three  little  villages,  of  a 
few  families  each.  Behind  the  middle  one  Mr. 
Larson  had  pitched  his  large  Mongol  tent,  a 
smaller  one  that  he  had  rented,  and  two  or  three 
cloth  tents.  A camel-cart,  a dog,  horses  and 
visitors,  added  to  the  picturesqueness  of  the  scene. 
There  were  now  in  our  company  six  American 
missionaries,  six  Swedish  missionaries,  and  six  lit- 
tle Swedish  children.  The  oldest  child  was  two  or 
three  years  of  age,  and  there  were  two  babies  only 
one  or  two  months  old.  The  tents  and  Boyinto’s 
house  were  not  sufficient  for  such  a number  of 
persons.  Six  miles  away,  great  numbers  of  Boxers 
were  preparing  to  attack  a Roman  Catholic  village, 
and  they  might  swoop  down  on  us  at  any  time. 
Mr.  Larson  told  us  that  we  should  not  be  able  to 
remain  there  twenty  days.  Our  preparations  for 
the  journey  were  made  in  all  possible  haste,  and 
used  less  than  half  of  that  time. 


Preparing  the  Caravan 


99 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  A.  Larson  and  Children 


IOO 


A Flight  For  Life 


Mr.  Frans  August  Larson  was  a natural  leader, 
most  providentially  raised  up  for  us,  and  splendidly 
fitted  for  his  task.  He  could  speak  the  Mongolian 
language  fluently,  was  a fine  horseman  and  marks- 
man,— which  count  for  much  in  the  desert  and 
prairie, — and  had  won  the  true  friendship  of  some 
of  the  Mongols,  who  for  this  reason  were  willing 
to  go  with  us  through  many  dangers.  Mr.  Larson 
had  twice  gone  through  the  desert  of  Gobi,  so  that 
he  knew  what  conditions  we  should  find  there,  and 
what  preparations  should  be  made.  Best  of  all,  he 
was  a brave  man. 

The  people  asked  him  a question  which  would 
be  resented  anywhere  : "Have  you  any  silver?”  The 
inference  was,  that,  if  so,  they  would  try  to  take 
it. 

He  replied:  ‘‘Yes,  and  I shall  buy  what  animals 
I want.  I shall  not  steal  from  any  of  you.” 

The  magistrate,  whose  name  was  Badam  Daroga, 
said  to  Mr.  Larson:  “You  must  leave  this  place.” 
Larson  answered : “I  must  have  a few  days  to 
prepare  for  the  journey.” 

The  official  replied : “You  must  go  to-day.” 
Larson  said : “If  you  want  a fight,  bring  on 
your  men,  for  I have  a good  rifle,  and  am  not 
afraid  of  any  number  of  you.” 


Preparing  the  Caravan 


IOI 


With  these  words  he  overawed  the  official,  and 
to  this  fact,  under  the  divine  Providence,  we  owed 
our  freedom  from  attack  while  at  that  place. 
Badam  wrote  a letter  to  the  “Big  Man”  at  a yamen 
distant  several  days’  journey,  saying  that  he  could 
not  manage  these  obstreperous  foreigners.  We 
never  heard  of  his  receiving  a reply. 

With  a few  exceptions,  both  Chinese  and  Mon- 
gols were  hostile.  In  these  circumstances,  the  love 
and  devotion  of  our  friends  was  most  touching. 
When  we  fled  to  the  yamen,  only  one  dared  to  go 
with  us.  He  had  been  with  us  fifteen  years,  first 
as  a pupil,  and  afterward  as  a chapel-keeper;  and, 
being  intelligent  and  faithful,  had  been  useful  in 
preaching,  though  not  dignified  with  a preacher’s 
title,  nor  paid  a preacher’s  salary.  He  was  a man 
of  a pure  life  and  willing  disposition.  Sad  to  relate, 
he  became  sick  while  helping  us  at  Hara  Oso,  went 
home,  and  was  killed  by  the  Boxers.  Mr.  Williams’ 
servant  also  came  to  us  into  Mongolia,  and  made 
himself  useful,  going  to  our  homes,  and  bringing 
things  which  we  needed.  Two  others,  a schoolboy 
and  a carpenter,  followed  us  to  Hara  Oso,  and 
showed  us  much  kindness. 

Consider  for  a moment  the  difficult  problem  to 
be  solved.  A thousand  miles  must  be  traversed 


102 


A Flight  For  Life 


without  the  aid  of  steam.  The  natives  along  the 
route  were  liable  to  attack  us.  Three  hundred 
miles  of  desert  must  be  crossed,  with  the  likelihood 
of  a water-famine.  With  the  ladies  and  children, 
we  could  not  travel  fast.  There  were  no  good  pros- 
pects even  of  our  being  able  to  buy  food.  We 
prayed  hard  in  those  days  of  preparation,  and 
prayed  the  prayer  of  Moses : “If  thy  presence  go 
not  with  me,  carry  us  not  up  hence” ; and  we  re- 
ceived in  our  hearts  the  promise  of  God  to  Moses : 
“My  presence  shall  go  with  thee,  and  I will  give 
thee  rest.” 

Mr.  Larson  had  ten  camels  and  nine  horses,  all 
ready  for  our  use.  This  was  something  more  than 
refugees  could  expect.  It  was  a mercy  of  Provi- 
dence that  he  had  these  animals ; for,  if  he  had  had 
none,  and  suddenly  tried  to  buy  a large  number,  the 
price  would  have  gone  up  beyond  our  reach,  and  we 
could  not  have  crossed  the  desert.  Having  these 
as  a nucleus,  he  gradually  bought  more,  until  there 
were  twenty  camels  and  nineteen  horses, — not  a 
small  number,  but,  considering  how  they  lost  their 
strength  through  lack  of  grass  in  the  desert,  they 
were  none  too  many  to  carry  our  people  and  bag- 
gage. Mr.  C.  W.  Campbell,  British  vice-consul 
at  Shanghai,  had  intended  to  make  a long  journey 


Preparing  the  Caravan 


103 


of  exploration  in  northeastern  Mongolia,  with  Mr. 
Larson  as  his  business  manager  and  interpreter, — 
Mr.  Larson  taking  two  camel-loads  of  Bibles, 
to  sell  and  explain  on  the  way ; — and  he  had  given 
Mr.  Larson  money  with  which  to  buy  camels, 
horses,  tents  and  all  things  that  might  be  needed ; 
but  Mr.  Campbell  was  detained  by  the  war,  assisting 
Admiral  Seymour’s  column.  Since  he  could  not 
use  his  animals,  we,  of  course,  were  most  happy  to 
have  them.  After  reaching  Siberia,  Mr.  Larson 
sold  them  and  refunded  the  money  to  Mr.  Camp- 
bell. 

It  was  necessary  that  the  ladies  and  children 
should  ride  in  carts.  Mr.  Larson  had  one  good 
camel-cart,  which  he  had  had  made  for  Mr.  Camp- 
bell. In  this  Mrs.  Larson  and  her  children  were  to 
be  accommodated.  For  the  other  ladies,  the  best 
that  he  could  do  was  to  buy  ox-carts.  Though 
they  were  of  very  rude  construction,  ugly  in  ap- 
pearance and  likely  to  come  to  pieces,  there  were 
no  others  to  be  bought.  He  had  wooden  frames 
built  over  them,  covered  with  cornstalk  matting, 
to  keep  off  the  sun  and  rain.  As  the  axles  were 
mortised  into  the  wheels,  and  turned  around  with 
them,  one  wheel  would  move  and  the  other  drag  at 
every  bend  of  the  road.  This  would  twist  and 


104 


A Flight  For  Life 


might  break  the  axle.  Therefore  extra  axles  had  to 
be  provided. 

One  of  the  Mongols  who  helped  us,  but  did  not 
go  with  us,  was  Boyinto.  Years  ago  he  was  Mr. 
Gilmour's  servant.  In  1885,  to  Mr.  Gilmour's 
great  joy,  he  confessed  his  faith  in  Christ.  For  ten 
years  he  witnessed  a good  profession.  In  1895,  Mr. 
Larson  having  made  repairs  in  his  house,  with  a 
view  to  living  there,  and  doing  mission  work,  Boy- 
into was  persecuted,  as  the  landlord  and  friend  of 
the  foreigner.  He  was  dragged  to  the  yamen,  kept 
there  many  days,  made  sick  bv  the  hardships  of  the 
journey,  and  all  his  cows  and  other  animals  were 
taken  away  from  him.  This  brought  his  family  to 
the  verge  of  starvation.  A gift  of  two  cows  from 
the  missionaries  saved  them.  We  did  not  baptize 
Boyinto,  for  fear  it  would  bring  on  him  greater 
persecution,  but  esteemed  him  highly  as  a friend, 
who,  notwithstanding  some  faults,  has  seemed  to 
be  a Christian. 

The  tent  in  which  the  Larsons  lived  had  only  one 
room,  fifteen  feet  in  diameter,  circular  in  shape, 
with  a low  doorway,  on  which  one  entering  would 
naturally  bump  his  head.  In  this  room  the  twelve 
missionaries  and  six  children  ate  their  meals,  and, 
considering  the  furniture  and  baggage,  there  was 


Preparing  the  Caravan  105 

little  vacant  space.  Mongol  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren came  in  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  to  watch  what 
was  being  done,  or  to  talk  about  business.  The 
pleasantest  visitors  were  six  or  eight  dirty  little 
children,  who,  for  several  summers,  had  constituted 
Mrs.  Larson's  kindergarten  class.  She  had  played 
with  them,  shown  them  pictures,  and  taught  them 
a great  deal,  without  their  suspecting  it.  Best  of 
all,  they  had  learned  to  love  their  teacher.  As  they 
came  early  and  stayed  all  day,  there  was  no  privacy 
in  the  home,  and  to  have  them  there  all  the  time 
was  a trying  ordeal.  Mrs.  Larson,  caring  for  her 
two  little  children,  and  providing  food  for  so  large 
a company,  still  entertained  and  taught  her  kinder- 
garten scholars,  with  a sublime  patience  that  never 
failed. 

On  Monday,  June  18,  there  came  a drizzling 
rain,  worth  millions  of  dollars.  It  was  an  answer  to 
many  prayers,  and  averted  famine.  At  other  times 
such  a rain,  following  a drought,  would  so  delight 
the  people,  as  to  make  them  more  friendly  to  for- 
eigners ; but  in  this  case  the  excitement  was  too 
great.  Already  the  fighting  at  Tientsin  and  Peking 
had  begun.  After  the  rain,  the  weather  turned 
cold,  and  the  smoke  from  the  fires  congealed  in 
the  tent-roofs,  and  fell  in  black  drops  of  creosote. 


io 6 


A Flight  For  Life 


Our  clothing  and  bedding  were  badly  stained. 
Three  camels  were  lost,  and  we  feared  they  had 
been  stolen,  but  a day  later  they  were  found. 
“Captain"  Larson  was  busy  buying  camels.  Every 
day  the  Mongols  who  were  to  go  with  us  were 
being  urged  by  their  home  friends  not  to  do  so. 
For  this  reason  Mr.  Larson  promised  that  we 
should  start  not  later  than  the  twenty-third. 

During  these  days  of  preparation,  we  received 
three  letters  from  the  Chinese  telegraph  operator 
at  Kalgan,  Mr.  H.  Y.  Yook.  In  the  first  he  said: 

“I  have  heard  that  railway  from  Peking  to  Tientsin  will 
repair  in  these  few  days,  and  the  Boxers  dare  not  rise  again, 
owing  to  there  have  a great  deal  of  soldiers  protect  rail- 
way.” 

His  other  letters  were  as  follows : — 

“Kalgan,  June  14,  1900. 

“Dear  Sir: 

Your  telegram  cannot  send  to  Peking,  because  all 
wires  to  there  were  burnt  by  Boxers;  now  I must  re- 
turn it  to  you.  Sorry  no  true  news,  owing  to  no  communi- 
cation with  Peking  lately,— only  heard  anything  from  na- 
tives, that  Boxers  have  reached  Peking’s  gate  where  are 
named  Yun  Ting  Mun,  and  they  burned  many  houses,  and 
killed  some  foreigners.  They  have  battle  with  Chinese 
soldiers  three  times,  and  they  were  killed  a great  number 
of  persons  by  soldiers. 


Preparing  the  Caravan  107 

“We  have  ordered  our  lineman  to  inspect  wires,  and 
goes  to  Peking,  to  peep  the  condition ; in  accounting  he 
shall  come  back  in  a few  days,  when  must  have  a reliable 
term  from  him.  Hoping  your  servant  come  to  our  office 
next  time,  when  I will  let  you  know  true  news  by  him 
(your  servant). 

“With  my  best  regards  to  yourself  and  all  your  combina- 
tions, I remain, 

“Yours  sincerely, 

“H.  Y.  Yook.” 

(The  telegram  referred  to  was  intended  to  inform 
our  friends  in  Peking  and  America  that  we  were 
still  living  and  going  to  Urga.  We  were  disap- 
pointed that  it  could  not  be  sent,  and  realized  that 
we  were  cut  off  from  civilization.) 

“Kalgan,  June  21,  1900. 

“Dear  Sir: 

Lineman  came  back,  and  reported  that  he  could  not 
go  in  Peking  city,  because  every  gate  shut  up,  and  many 
soldiers  protect  there.  He  heard  from  some  men  told  him 
that  Peking  Telegraph  Office  is  empty:  all  of  clerks  were 
run  away,  their  burned  many  Chinese  and  foreign  houses. 
Killed  a great  number  of  persons.  Now-a-days  no  means 
to  post  letter  to  there,  and  traveller  is  difficult  goes  there. 
Before  yesterday  a great  number  of  persons  go  to  our  office, 
but  I don’t  know  they  are  kind  or  cruel,  after  magistrate 
sent  two  soldiers  to  protect  our  office,  when  they  were  run 
away.  Now  I and  our  clerks  can’t  stay  in  office  any  long- 
er, only  come  to  here  a few  minutes  every  day.  Please  ex- 


io8 


A Flight  For  Life 


cuse  me,  I cannot  catch  time  to  write  properly  at  present. 
I hope  you  and  your  combinations  are  safely  at  there.  I 
will  write  you  afterwards  when  I heard  any  news. 

“With  my  best  regards  to  yourself  and  Messrs.  Sprague, 
Larson  and  Mrs.  Larson,  I remain, 

“Yours  sincerely, 

“H.  Y.  Yook.” 

“P.S.  Here  enclosed  a telegram  to  Mr.  Sprague,  please 
hand  to  him,  owing  to  no  means  can  send  to  Peking  with 
obliged.” 

Some  of  the  mistakes  in  the  above  letters  were 
owing  to  a natural  nervousness,  because  the  tele- 
graph operators  were  every  moment  in  danger  of 
their  lives.  The  people  could  not  believe  that  the 
telegraph  lines  were  owned  by  their  government, 
but  regarded  them  as  a device  of  the  outside  bar- 
barians for  bewitching  and  conquering  the  coun- 
try. They  hated  the  telegraph  operators  as  much 
as  if  they  were  foreigners. 

The  following  letter  from  Rev.  Mr.  Tewksbury 
throws  some  light  on  the  condition  of  affairs: — 

“Peking,  Tues.  6-19-1. 

“Dear  Mr.  Roberts : 

Came  to  post-office  to  ask  in  regard  to  mails.  Find 
one  just  leaving,  so  send  you  a word  in  haste.  All 
Missions  in  Peking  burned  except  M.  E.,  where  we  all  are. 
Seventy  foreigners,  six  hundred  or  seven  hundred  Chinese, 
twenty  American  marines,  all  tired  and  anxious. 


Preparing  the  Caravan 


109 


“Allied  troops  2400  started  over  a week  ago  repair  R.  R. 
to  Peking,  not  up  here  yet,  and  no  news  of  them  for 
several  days.  1700  Russians  said  to  have  started  on  15th 
from  Riu,1  also  not  arrived. 

“Situation  very  critical,  but  think  our  lives  are  probably 
safe.  The  good  Lord  still  rules. 

“We  are  thinking  much  of  you.  To-day  asked  U.  S.  Min- 
ister to  arrange  with  Russian  Minister,  to  do  what  he  could 
for  your  passage  out  through  Russia,  but  as  telegraph  lines 
are  down  and  Peking  besieged,  you  will  doubtless  more 
easily  secure  passports  through  St.  Petersburg. 

“In  haste, 

“E.  G.  Tewksbury.” 


A place  on  the  railroad. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


TWO  RISKY  TRIPS 

“The  Lord  shall  preserve  thy  going  out  and  thy  coining 
in.” 


When  we  left  our  homes,  and  were  escorted  out 
of  Kalgan,  we  dared  not  take  our  Mission  funds. 
The  money  was  placed  on  deposit  in  a Chinese 
bank,  as  it  had  been  for  nearly  twenty  years,  during 
which  time  we  never  lost  a cent.  In  this  time  of 
turmoil,  we  did  not  think  it  safe  to  take  the  money 
with  us,  because  we  could  not  do  so  without  pub- 
licity. We  needed  it  to  buy  more  camels  and 
horses  and  pay  the  wages  of  our  camel-drivers. 
Therefore  Mr.  Sprague  went  to  Kalgan  on  a horse, 
June  1 6,  attended  by  a Mongol-  named  "Morn- 
ing Star.”  He  rode  the  entire  distance  in  one  day, 
going  sixty  miles  by  a circuitous  route,  to  avoid 
going  through  the  streets  of  the  city.  In  the  even- 
ing he  cautiously  approached  the  rear  gate  of  our 
premises.  After  we  had  fled,  three  Christians  had 
returned  to  watch  the  property.  A Swedish  mis- 
sionary, Mr.  A.  L.  Fagerholm,  had  come  from 

no 


Two  Risky  Trips 


1 1 1 


Pao  T’ou,  three  hundred  miles  west  of  Ivalgan, 
expecting  to  go  to  Sweden  by  way  of  Tientsin. 
He  had  been  attacked  by  a mob,  and  rescued  by 
soldiers,  and  arrived  at  Kalgan  just  before  Mr. 
Sprague  came.  When  he  and  the  native  brethren 
saw  “Morning  Star”  climbing  up  and  looking  over 
the  wall  of  our  yard,  they  thought  he  was  a Boxer. 
Great  was  their  joy  when  they  recognized  him 
and  saw  that  Mr.  Sprague  also  had  come. 

In  the  evening  Mr.  Sprague  went  to  the  bank, 
protected  by  a soldier,  and  asked  for  the  money. 
The  men  in  the  bank  might  have  refused  to  give 
it,  or  might  have  said  : “We  know  that  you  are 
fleeing  for  your  lives ; wait,  and  get  it  when  you 
return.”  But  no, — they  paid  him  every  cent ; for 
the  Chinese  are  very  honest  in  large  business 
affairs,  however  dishonest  in  small  matters.  This 
praiseworthy  habit  doubtless  arose  from  fear  of 
cruel  punishments,  which  they  would  suffer  if  de- 
tected in  large  frauds.  Furthermore,  the  bankers 
were  truly  our  friends.  The  soldier  might  have 
killed  Mr.  Sprague,  and  twro  or  three  hundred 
dollars  would  have  been  a great  prize  for  a poor 
Chinese  to  get.  He  probably  would  not  have 
been  punished,  but  rather  would  have  been  con- 
gratulated for  having  killed  one  of  the  “foreign 
devils.” 


I 12 


A Flight  For  Life 


Ikon  Censer  and  Priests,  Temple  Court. — Kalgan 


Tzvo  Risky  Trips 


113 

Mr.  Sprague  ordered  the  purchase  of  food  sup- 
plies, and  sent  them  on  carts  to  Hara  Oso ; but 
there  were  so  many  to  be  fed,  that,  even  with  this 
provision,  we  did  not  have  enough. 

Having  become  convinced  that  our  houses 
would  be  protected  by  the  mandarins,  he  sent  for 
his  boxes,  which  he  had  left  in  Mr.  Schapofif’s  care. 
At  the  Great  Gate  the  cartload  of  boxes  was 
stopped  by  the  officials,  who  said  that  they  con- 
tained arms  and  ammunition.  This  is  not  strange, 
for,  about  the  same  time  and  place,  they  captured 
seventy  camel-loads  of  rifles  and  cartridges  that 
were  being  taken  to  supply  the  Roman  Catholics. 
They  sent  this  message  to  Mr.  Sprague:  “If  you 
want  them  south  of  the  Great  Wall,  why  did  you 
take  them  out  to  the  north  ? But  if  you  wanted  to 
take  them  to  Mongolia,  why  do  you  now  wish  to 
bring  them  back?”  If  he  would  go  in  person  to 
the  gate,  and  testify  as  to  their  contents,  the  boxes 
would  be  admitted.  He  did  not  think  it  prudent 
to  do  so,  and  sent  word  to  the  cartman  to  haul 
them  to  Hara  Oso. 

Then  he  set  out  on  his  return,  bringing  the  sil- 
ver, and  accompanied  by  Mr.  Fagerholm,  who 
traveled  in  a cart.  “Morning  Star”  rode  on  in 
haste,  with  a letter  to  explain  the  delay ; for  the  cart 


A Flight  For  Life 


114 

could  not  go  rapidly,  and  Mr.  Sprague  knew  that 
we  were  anxious  for  his  safety.  The  region  through 
which  they  came  was  infested  with  highway  robbers, 
for  the  approaching  state  of  war  had  permitted  a 
great  increase  of  lawlessness ; and  we  greeted  Mr. 
Sprague,  on  his  safe  return,  as  one  delivered  from 
many  perils,  and  given  back  to  us  by  a kind  Provi- 
dence, in  answer  to  our  earnest  prayers. 

Then  it  occurred  to  us  that  there  was  need  of 
warm  clothing  for  the  whole  party,  for  the  ladies 
and  children  were  suffering  from  the  cold,  although 
it  was  in  the  month  of  June.  Hara  Oso  is  farther 
north  than  New  York,1  and  more  than  five  thou- 
sand feet  above  the  sea ; and  flannels,  overcoats  and 
blankets  were  needed,  even  in  midsummer.  In 
traveling  northward  to  Siberia,  the  warm  clothing 
would  be  still  more  indispensable. 

So  I started  back  toward  Kalgan  on  the  twen- 
tieth, in  the  cart  that  had  brought  Mr.  Fagerholm. 
My  only  companion  was  the  driver,  who  was  a 
heathen,  and  addicted  to  drinking  wine.  We  went 
by  the  same  roundabout  route  which  Mr.  Sprague 
had  traversed,  passing  by  the  little  city  of  “Perfec- 
tion.” Coming  near  to  Kalgan,  I walked  across 

1 Hara  Oso  is  in  nearly  410  36'  north  latitude. 


Two  Risky  Trips  115 

the  hills,  past  the  Flower  Pot  Kiln,  while  the 
cart  went  around  through  the  streets.  It  was  in 
the  busy  hoeing  season,  and  there  were  many  men 
in  the  fields,  but  the  most  of  them  had  gone  to 
sleep,  it  being  the  hour  of  their  noon  rest.  Enough 
of  them  were  awake,  however,  to  keep  yelling: 
“Devil ! devil !’’  as  I went  past. 

Our  homes  had  been  sealed  by  the  magistrates 
with  strips  of  paper  covered  with  printed  and 
written  words,  which,  being  pasted  over  the  doors 
and  windows,  would  show  if  the  houses  had  been 
entered.  Three  policemen  were  in  the  yard,  and 
two  soldiers  were  guarding  it  outside.  The  police- 
men had  taken  down  the  names  of  teacher  Lo’s 
family,  ostensibly  with  the  intention  of  giving 
them  protection,  but  we  thought  that  the  real  in- 
tent was,  in  certain  contingencies,  to  put  them  all 
to  death.  The  teacher  was  helping  in  the  care  of 
our  houses.  One  of  his  pupils  was  there,  crying 
much,  but  protesting  that,  live  or  die,  he  would 
not  leave  him.  For  a number  of  years  Mr.  Lo  had 
taught  the  “New  Virtue  School,”  and  was  valued 
for  his  efficiency  and  thoughtful  care  for  the  boys. 
His  courage  in  coming  back  to  watch  the  Mission 
property  was  above  all  praise.  Three  others 
helped  him  in  this  hazardous  endeavor.  We  learned 


ii6  A Flight  For  Life 

afterward,  to  our  great  joy,  that,  when  our  houses 
were  burned,  they  all  escaped  without  injury. 

The  police  sealed  up  the  houses  again  as  soon 
as  I had  taken  out  the  needed  clothing.  The  war 
excitement  in  the  city  was  intense.  An  attack  by 
Russian  soldiers  from  the  north  was  expected,  and 
hurried  preparations  for  defence  were  being  made, 
Two  thousand  five  hundred  (!)  of  Tung  Fu 
Hsiang’s  soldiers  were  to  come  from  Peking,  to 
protect  this  city.  No  one  seemed  to  realize  that 
the  lack  of  water  in  the  desert  of  Gobi  would 
make  it  impossible  for  a large  army  to  reach  Kal- 
gan  from  the  north. 

I had  brought  from  Hara  Oso  a letter  which 
some  one  had  sent  there  for  Mr.  Stewart  McKee, 
an  English  missionary  of  the  China  Inland  Mission, 
who  lived  at  Ta  T’ung'Fu,  one  hundred  and  twenty 
miles  southwest  of  Kalgan.  The  letter  had  been 
written  to  warn  Mr.  McKee  and  his  comrades  of 
their  danger.  I was  wondering  who  could  take  it 
to  him,  when  one  of  the  persecuted  Christians  from 
T’ungcho  arrived  at  our  place,  the  same  evening 
that  I was  there.  He  told  me  of  the  scores  of 
Christians  killed  at  T’ungcho.  I hired  him  to  start 
early  the  next  morning,  June  22,  to  take  the  letter. 
We  never  heard  whether  Mr.  McKee  received  it, 


Two  Risky.  Trips 


117 


but  learned  long  afterward,  to  our  deep  sorrow, 
that  he  and  the  others  of  his  party,  in  all  six  mis- 
sionaries and  four  children,  were  attacked  by  the 
Boxers  on  the  twelfth  of  July,  and  burned  to 
death  in  their  home.  Alas  for  our  well-loved 
friends ! Would  that  they  might  have  started  early 
and  escaped ! How  near  our  whole  company  had 
been  to  sharing  their  fate ! 

There  was  in  Kalgan  a so-called  “Peking  cart” 
with  its  trappings,  which  belonged  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Sprague,  and  were  needed  by  them.  Repairs  had 
to  be  made  in  haste.  The  driver  and  horses  which 
I had  hired  to  take  this  cart  to  Hara  Oso  refused 
to  go,  and  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  that  I 
succeeded  in  hiring  others  and  making  the  return 
trip.  On  the  way,  I passed  a village  where  Boxers 
were  practicing  with  their  clubs,  and  they,  seeing 
a foreigner,  came  and  stood  in  a row  by  the  road, 
while  I slowly  dragged  past  them  in  the  cart.  I 
had  not  disguised  my  appearance  at  all.  I was 
thankful  that  I did  not  have  to  use  my  revolver. 
At  dark  I stopped  at  an  inn,  but  was  refused  ad- 
mission, and  made  my  way  to  the  home  of  the  Ta 
Shao  Yeh,  who  had  received  us  before.  His  friend- 
ship proved  unfailing.  He  was  anxious  for  the 
news,  and  I told  him  a good  deal,  but  kept  the 


worst  in  reserve. 


n8 


A Flight  For  Life 


The  next  day  was  the  one  set  for  the  starting 
of  the  caravan.  The  wind  in  my  face  was  terribly 
cold,  as  I traveled  those  twenty-three  miles. 
Not  knowing  at  what  hour  the  caravan  would  start, 
I was  anxious  lest  it  go  far  away,  and  I might  not 
be  able  to  find  it;  for  the  cart-driver  protested  that 
his  poor,  thin  mules  could  not  carry  me  beyond 
Hara  Oso.  Arriving  there  at  last,  I found,  to  my 
delight,  that  the  friends  were  still  there,  but  were 
nearly  ready  to  go.  There  was  a scene  of  con- 
fusion. All  kinds  of  baggage  lay  strewn  around 
on  the  ground,  and  the  camels  were  kneeling  in  the 
midst.  Every  one  seemed  to  be  shouting  and 
hurrying,  except  the  spectators,  who  looked  on 
with  various  kinds  of  interest.  Mr.  Sprague  was 
busily  weighing  silver,  to  make  payments.  The 
two  Mongol  tents,  two  boxes  of  Mongolian  and 
Tibetan  Gospels,  and  Mr.  Sprague’s  eight  boxes 
of  clothing,  for  which  he  could  find  no  safe  place 
of  storage,  were  left  in  charge  of  Boyinto  and 
Badam  Daroga. 

The  weather  was  perfect,  and  the  sunset  glorious, 
when  our  long  string  of  carts,  horses  and  loaded 
camels  started  northward  over  the  grassy  plain. 
The  large  black  dog  followed  us  faithfully.  The 
sheep  tried  to  go  in  every  way  but  the  right  one. 


Two  Risky  Trips 


1 19 

No  wonder,  for  the  poor  creatures  were  fleeing  for 
their  lives,  like  ourselves.  We  pitied  them,  but  had 
to  drive  them  on.  The  horses  were  frightened  by 
Mr.  Larson’s  bicycle,  and  the  camels  that  drew  the 
heavy  carts  were  scared  at  their  unaccustomed 
task,  and  attempted  to  run.  This  was  rather  trying 
to  the  nerves  of  the  ladies  in  the  carts.  As  some 
went  slowly  and  others  fast,  the  caravan  could 
not  be  kept  together.  We  were  anxious  as  to  the 
last  things  to  take  or  to  leave,  and  there  were 
hurried  words  of  farewell.  How  glad  we  were  to 
be  really  starting  for  Urga!  We  crossed  the  low 
hill  where  Mr.  Gilmour  used  to  have  his  morning 
devotions,  took  a last  sad  look  at  the  plain  and  vil- 
lages of  Hara  Oso,  and  the  beautiful  lake  of  Angle 
Nor,  and,  after  going  only  three  miles,  camped  out 
for  the  night. 

Does  it  seem  strange  that  we  were  swayed  by 
conflicting  emotions?  With  the  Boxers  behind  and 
the  desert  before,  going  toward  the  only  door  of 
escape,  but  leaving  our  China  homes  and  friends, 
perhaps  forever, — how  could  it  be  otherwise? 

Unpleasant  messages  were  sent  us  from  Badam 
Daroga  and  other  enemies.  They  were  making 
trouble  for  Boyinto  about  the  tents  and  boxes  that 
we  had  left.  He  was  in  fear  of  impending  sorrows. 


120 


A Flight  For  Life 


We  told  him  that  he  might  go  with  us;  but  he  re- 
fused to  do  so,  saying:  ‘‘Then  what  would  become 
of  my  family?”  Let  us  honor  him  for  this  brave 
word. 

Badam  Daroga  continued  to  make  trouble  for  us. 
We  dared  not  stay  where  we  were.  Besides  the 
danger  of  attack,  we  were  much  afraid  that  our 
camel-drivers  would  leave  us,  and  return  to  their 
homes.  This  would  be  a calamity.  Without  them 
we  would  be  helpless ; for  the  loading  of  camels 
is  an  art,  and  besides,  the  natives  all  along  the  way 
would  be  more  hostile  if  we  were  not  accompanied 
by  any  of  their  own  people.  So  we  went  on  half 
a day’s  journey,  and  encamped  by  a well,  which 
had  little  water  and  much  mud.  Tired  and  anxious, 
we  held  a meeting  for  prayer,  after  which  Mr. 
Larson  bought  a camel.  To  travel  or  buy  anything 
on  Sunday  was  contrary  to  our  wishes,  but  we 
were  compelled  by  the  necessities  of  the  case. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

A LOST  CAMEL  AND  THE  RESULT 

“All  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love 
God.” 

Early  the  next  morning  we  were  startled  at 
hearing  that  a camel  was  lost.  Mr.  Larson  sent 
three  Mongols  on  good  horses  scurrying  over  the 
prairie  to  find  it.  We  waited  all  day,  anxious  and 
impatient  to  go,  but  still  it  was  not  found.  The 
following  morning,  messengers  came  from  some 
Swedish  missionaries,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oberg,  Mr. 
Yacobson  and  Mr.  Sandberg,  who  had  been  cruelly 
beaten  by  a mob,  and  were  hurrying  to  overtake  us. 
Mr.  Larson  at  once  sent  a man  with  the  messen- 
gers, leading  two  camels  and  two  horses,  to  help 
the  friends  come  on.  Mr.  Sandberg  had  been 
taken  by  the  Boxers,  to  be  killed,  but  was  rescued 
by  soldiers.  Mrs.  Yacobson  and  Mrs.  Oberg  were 
stoned  by  a mob,  the  latter  was  repeatedly  knocked 
down  in  the  street,  and  their  gowns  were  covered 
with  blood,  when  they  arrived  at  the  office  of  the 
magistrate.  He  was  a good  man.  Rev.  Dr.  A.  H. 

121 


122 


A Flight  For  Life 


Smith  has  said : “A  bad  mandarin  will  talk  bad 
talk,  and  do  nothing;  a good  mandarin  will  talk 
good  talk,  and  do  nothing.”  But  this  magistrate 
was  unexpectedly  kind.  The  missionaries  asked 
an  indemnity  of  a thousand  ounces  of  silver  for 
their  homes  which  had  been  destroyed.  He  went 
and  saw  the  houses,  and  on  his  return  paid  them 
eight  hundred  ounces  of  silver,  worth  six  hundred 
dollars  United  States  gold ! He  also  gave  them  an 
escort  of  soldiers.  By  this  remarkable  kindness,  not 
due  to  pressure  from  higher  officials  nor  from  for- 
eign Powers,  our  friends  reached  Mongolia  in 
safety.  Having  bought  a cart  and  horses,  and  bags 
of  flour,  rice,  millet  and  oatmeal,  they  came  to  us 
with  large  supplies  of  both  food  and  money. 

After  two  days  of  searching,  the  men  found  the 
lost  camel.  It  had  strayed  away,  and  was  found 
grazing  west  of  Angle  Nor.  When  the  men  and 
camel  appeared  over  the  horizon,  we  went  out  to 
meet  them  with  ecstasies  of  delight.  It  was  not  so 
much  because  the  beast  was  worth  thirty  dollars 
and  we  needed  it  to  carry  our  supplies  through  the 
desert,  but  rather,  because,  if  we  had  not  found  it, 
others  would  be  stolen  or  lost,  and  we  never 
could  have  reached  Urga.  The  finding  of  the 
camel  proved  in  some  degree  the  trustworthiness 


A Lost  Camel  and  the  Result 


123 


of  our  hired  men.  They  were  very  faithful  all  the 
way,  though  they  were  daily  asked  by  persons 
whom  we  met,  “Why  are  you  going  with  these 
foreigners?”  They  answered : “We  are  poor  men, 
and  have  to  earn  a living,  and  the  foreigners  have 
offered  us  good  wages.”  The  real  motive  was  love 
for  Mr.  Larson,  and  for  others  of  us  whom  they 
knew  well.  Though  their  wages  were  not  small, 
the  risk  to  their  lives  at  such  a time  was  great. 
If  the  love  of  money  had  been  their  sole  motive, 
they  would  have  driven  away  our  animals  and  sold 
them  for  several  hundred  dollars.  They  were  help- 
ing us  to  escape  from  deadly  peril,  and  we  appre- 
ciated their  devotion. 

While  waiting  at  Lost  Camel  Camp,  Mr.  Fager- 
holm  began  teaching  me  a few  Swedish  phrases. 
He  has  a scholarly  mind,  and  his  place  in  the  tent 
was  next  to  mine.  I called  him : “Min  Larare  i 
Svenska,” — My  Teacher  in  Swedish.  “I  am  not 
sick,  but  lazy,”  was  often  quoted.  Our  “combina- 
tion” daily  used  the  English,  Swedish,  Chinese  and 
Mongolian  languages,  and  later  the  Russian. 

Having  exhausted  the  water  in  the  well, — but 
not  the  mud, — we  went  on  thirteen  miles  to  White 
Marble  Hill.  Ledges  of  marble  in  many  places 
were  jutting  out  through  the  grass.  The  well  was 


124 


A Flight  For  Life 


at  some  distance  from  our  camp,  and  near  to  a 
few  Mongol  tents.  When  “Morning  Star”  went 
there  with  the  two  large  water  buckets  on  a camel, 
the  natives  said  to  him : “You  must  not  draw 
water  from  our  well.”  If  such  a prohibition  had 
been  carried  out,  we  and  our  animals  would  soon 
have  perished.  The  message  was  disquieting.  Mr. 
Larson  went  boldly  to  the  tents,  going  on  his 
bicycle,  but  without  his  rifle,  and  inquired:  “ Why 
must  we  not  draw  water  from  your  well?”  Then 
they  were  frightened,  and  denied  that  they  had  said 
it. 

The  country  was  parched  with  drought,  but 
there  were  great  thunder-storms  in  the  region  south 
of  us,  where  the  Swedish  missionaries  were  travel- 
ing. After  waiting  for  them  two  more  days, 
they  arrived,  as  tired  as  could  be,  and  frightened 
by  the  cruelties  they  had  endured,  but  overjoyed 
to  see  us.  They  told  us  of  the  death  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bingmark  and  their  two  children,  who  were 
killed  by  the  Boxers  at  Yang  Kao,  eighty  miles 
west  southwest  of  Kalgan.  We  deeply  mourned  the 
martyrdom  of  our  dear  friends. 

The  loss  of  the  camel,  which  at  the  time  seemed 
deplorable,  had  resulted  in  saving  the  lives  of  four 
missionaries,  and  perhaps  the  whole  caravan.  The 


A Lost  Camel  and  the  Residt 


125 


four  could  not  have  traveled  through  the  desert 
without  our  camels  and  horses ; we  could  not  have 
done  so  without  their  supplies  of  food ; and  they 
could  not  have  overtaken  us,  if  we  had  not  lost 
the  camel.  So  the  loss,  which  at  first  seemed  to  be 
a great  misfortune,  was  one  of  the  best  things  that 
could  have  happened ; and  we  realized  anew  that 
“all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that 
love  God.” 

Shall  we  say  that  this  great  truth  applies  only  to 
us  who  escaped  and  not  to  those  whose  lives  were 
taken?  Considering  the  sure  promises  of  God,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  fact  that  the  laws  of  nature 
include  a system  of  rewards  and  punishments,  with 
unfailing  compensations  not  limited  by  time  or 
place,  is  it  not  certain  that  those  who  have  gone 
through  a cruel  death  to  a world  of  glory,  unite 
with  us  in  saying  that  “all  things  work  together 
for  good  to  them  that  love  God”? 


CHAPTER  XV 


INTO  THE  DESERT  OF  GOBI 

“Those  that  go  toward  the  north  country  have  quieted 
my  spirit  in  the  north  country.” 

After  the  Oberg  party  joined  us,  we  traveled 
over  a hilly  country  with  good  grass.  At  the 
summit  of  the  first  ridge,  there  was  a line  of 
ancient  earthworks,  called  the  “Bad  Wall.”  Go- 
ing on  camels  and  horses,  and  sleeping  and  eating 
almost  anywhere  in  the  fields,  we  looked  like 
Ishmaelites  or  gipsies.  We  remembered  that  Mr. 
Yook  had  sent  his  regards  to  our  “combinations,” 
meaning  our  whole  company,  and  therefore  we 
called  the  caravan  a “combination,”  which  was 
appropriate,  considering  the  several  nations  and 
missions  represented.  With  our  costumes  not  up 
to  par,  and  our  number  and  variety  of  animals,  we 
might  have  been  mistaken  by  a casual  observer  for 
a combination  troupe,  or  a traveling  menagerie. 
As  the  road  wound  over  the  low  hills,  we  passed 
a well  of  clear,  cold  water,  and  after  sunset  ar- 
rived at  Gombo’s  Camp. 

126 


Into  the  Desert  of  Gobi 


12  7 


Gombo  is  a Mongol  about  thirty  years  old,  with 
an  intelligent  face,  who  had  been  a teacher  of  the 
Swedish  missionaries  in  Kalgan.  It  was  Saturday 
night,  June  30,  when  we  came  to  his  place,  and 
we  tarried  to  enjoy  a good  day  of  rest.  All  of  the 
Mongols  were  friendly.  Mr.  Williams  preached  a 
timely  sermon  on  Elijah,  persecuted  and  driven 
out  of  his  country,  yet  having  a work  to  do,  and 
receiving  divine  comfort.  We  visited  Gombo’s 
home, — a poor  place,  but  not  lacking  in  good 
cheer,  which  was  displayed  with  the  usual  salt  tea 
and  cheese. 

It  was  a delight  to  be  among  friends.  Yet  we 
were  worried  at  the  loss  of  a large  bag  of  dried 
rolls,  which  had  fallen  from  a camel.  Confronted 
by  the  danger  of  starving  in  the  desert,  we  could 
not  afford  to  lose  any  of  our  food.  The  suggestion 
of  theft  and  treachery  was  alarming.  We  decided 
that  we  must  watch  the  baggage-camels  constantly 
when  on  the  road,  to  guard  against  further  loss. 

In  the  afternoon  there  was  a thunder-storm,  and 
we  dug  trenches  around  the  tent  to  drain  away  the 
water  and  not  allow  it  to  flood  the  interior.  In 
our  comparatively  peaceful  stay  at  Gombo’s,  how 
ignorant  we  were  of  the  terrible  massacres  that 
were  being  perpetrated  at  Paotingfu ! 


128 


A Flight  For  Life 


The  next  day  we  stopped  for  the  noon  lunch  at 
Argol  Hollow.  Argol  is  the  Mongolian  name  for 
“buffalo  chips,”  the  only  fuel  we  had  to  use,  almost 
all  of  the  way  to  Urga.  Being  thoroughly  dried 
in  the  sun  and  wind,  it  does  not  soil  the  hands 
much ; it  makes  a blaze  and  much  smoke,  and,  as 
the  wind  carried  away  the  heat,  enormous  quan- 
tities of  it  had  to  be  burned,  in  order  to  cook  the 
food.  Fortunately  we  had  a large  number  of  able- 
bodied  men  to  gather  it.  Working  with  wash- 
basins and  bags,  they  formed  an  “argol  com- 
mittee,” whose  duties  were  not  light. 

In  the  afternoon  we  passed  through  a number  of 
showers,  and  stopped  at  Rain  Camp.  The  trunks 
were  piled  together,  and  covered  with  oilcloth, 
weighted  with  stones,  to  keep  them  from  being 
blown  away.  The  tent  being  full  of  bedding,  sad- 
dles and  other  baggage,  the  ladies  had  to  cook 
standing  out  in  the  rain.  Some  of  them  had  water- 
proof cloaks.  The  “argol  committee”  had  to 
hurry  around  in  the  rain,  to  get  the  precious  fuel 
before  it  should  become  thoroughly  soaked.  The 
situation  was  not  a happy  one,  but  our  lives  had 
been  spared,  and  we  tried  to  cheer  ourselves  by 
singing. 

Wednesday  was  the  glorious  Fourth  of  July. 


Into  the  Desert  of  Gobi 


129 


We  made  a huge  bonfire,  hurrahed,  and  fired  ofif 
our  guns  and  sang  songs.  “My  country,  ’tis  of 
thee,’’  waked  the  echoes  of  those  barren  hills.  The 
horses  had  not  been  watered  for  thirty  hours.  The 
bottom  of  the  leathern  bucket  for  drawing  water 
was  gone.  In  its  stead  we  had  to  use  a marbleized 
iron  pail,  which  we  feared  would  be  injured  by 
striking  against  the  rock-walled  side  of  the  well. 
We  did  not  want  it  to  leak,  as  it  was  needed  for. 
cooking.  There  being  no  trough,  the  horses 
drank  from  a wash-basin.  There  were  fourteen  of 
them,  each  mad  for  the  first  drink,  and  they  must 
be  held  back,  for  only  one  or  two  could  drink  at  a 
time.  Before  they  were  satisfied,  they  had  drunk 
more  than  two  thousand  pounds  of  water. 

We  traveled  all  day,  without  the  usual  noon  rest. 
The  heat  made  coats  and  vests  unendurable.  To- 
ward night  we  passed  out  of  the  Jahara  region,  in 
which  we  were  in  danger  of  being  arrested  and 
taken  back  to  Kalgan,  into  the  Sunit  district. 
These  are  names  of  Mongol  tribes.  As  the  long 
day  was  ending,  Larson  rode  on  before  and  lighted 
a fire,  and  our  “combination”  camped  out  in  the 
midst  of  sand  and  dead  grass.  The  grass  had 
grown  and  died  the  year  before.  The  place  was 
named  “Fourth  of  July  Sandy  Camp.”  It  was 


130 


A Flight  For  Life 


evident  that  we  were  nearing  the  desert ; and  while 
we  enjoyed  the  light  of  the  big  fire  and  the  bright 
moonlight  and  the  cool  air  of  the  evening,  we 
were  not  without  anxiety  as  to  the  sufferings  that 
seemed  unavoidable  in  our  approaching  journey 
through  Gobi. 

The  ladies  and  children  slept  in  the  carts.  It 
was  better  than  sleeping  on  the  earth,  but  they 
were  very  crowded,  whether  sleeping  at  night  or 
riding  in  the  day,  for  the  carts  were  small.  The 
men  slept  on  the  ground  under  a cloth  tent.  Cap- 
tain Larson  slept  outside,  with  his  loaded  rifle  at 
hand,  ready  to  fight  the  Boxers  or  wolves  at  a 
moment’s  notice.  Early  in  the  morning  he  would 
make  a fire,  and  put  on  the  water  to  boil,  and  when 
it  was  nearly  boiling,  he  would  shout,  “Up-stell- 
ning!”  which  is  Swedish  for  “Attention  \”  Then  all 
must  rise  quickly  and  drink  tea.  No  quarter  was 
shown  to  lazy  persons ; the  captain  would  have  the 
tent  pulled  down  over  their  heads.  After  drinking 
tea,  or  sometimes  cocoa,1  and  perhaps  eating  a few 
dry  rolls,  we  packed  up  the  baggage,  and  traveled 
till  nearly  noon.  Then  the  animals  must  graze  for 
at  least  five  hours,  and  we  would  eat  and  drink,  and 
catch  a nap  if  possible.  Toward  evening  we  would 


1 It  is  needless  to  state  that  the  cocoa  did  not  last  long. 


Into  the  Desert  of  Gobi  131 

pack  up  again  and  travel  till  midnight  or  day- 
break or  long  after  that  hour.  Though  this  was 
the  usual  routine,  no  regularity  as  to  hours  of  eat- 
ing or  sleeping  was  possible,  as  the  wells  were  at 
unequal  distances  apart,  and  we  must  go  on  and 
on,  until  we  could  find  a well.  No  one  who  has  not 
been  in  similar  circumstances  can  realize  how  es- 
sential to  our  existence  were  those  precious  wells. 

The  camels  could  not  be  trusted  to  graze  in  the 
night,  for  they  would  stray  away  and  be  lost.  At 
night,  if  not  on  the  road,  they  must  be  tied  to  a 
rope  fastened  to  pegs  in  the  ground.  They  must 
graze  in  the  daytime,  when  they  could  be  watched, 
and  travel  in  the  night.  Early  in  the  journey  Lar- 
son said : “I  must  either  kill  the  camels,  by  travel- 
ing in  the  heat  of  the  day  and  not  letting  them 
graze,  or  kill  the  people  by  going  in  the  night  and 
not  allowing  them  to  sleep.”  The  Mongols,  know- 
ing the  needs  of  the  animals,  wanted  to  travel  in 
the  night,  but  the  complaints  of  the  foreigners 
were  loud  against  it,  for  all  were  suffering  from  the 
lack  of  sleep.  No  formal  decision  could  be  made ; 
but  our  circumstances  of  danger,  and  the  neces- 
sities of  the  animals,  which  could  not  be  ignored, 
compelled  us  to  travel  as  much  by  night  as  by 
day,  partly  killing  the  camels,  and  partly  killing 


132 


A Flight  For  Life 


the  missionaries, — and  yet  all  survived.  We  had 
our  Elims  and  Marahs,  and  realized,  as  never  be- 
fore, how  unavoidable  was  the  murmuring  of  the 
Israelites  in  the  desert,  when  they  had  nothing  to 
eat  or  to  drink. 

A thick  haze  each  day  gave  the  sun  an  appear- 
ance of  fire  mingled  with  blood.  An  hour  or  two 
before  sunset  the  fire  would  die  out  and  the  ball 
of  blood  would  slowly  sink  out  of  sight.  This  was 
repeated  for  about  ten  days.  At  such  a time,  when 
we  were  fleeing  from  scenes  of  blood  in  China,  it 
was  appropriate,  but  not  pleasant,  to  see  such  an 
appearance  in  the  sky.  Without  it  the  desert 
would  have  been  weird  and  woeful  enough. 

In  such  a flat  country  a bicycle  is  as  serviceable 
as  a horse,  and  one  need  not  pity  it  when  there  is 
no  grass  or  water.  One  day  Mr.  Larson  was 
teaching  Mrs.  Larson  to  ride  the  wheel,  when  her 
dress  became  caught  between  the  chain  and  sprock- 
et, and  the  tension  broke  the  rear  axle.  The  baby 
carriage,  after  following  Mrs.  Larson’s  cart  seven- 
ty miles,  acquired  a habit  of  falling  over  on  its  side. 
Both  these  vehicles  were  carried  on  the  camels  to 
Urga.  They  excited  a great  deal  of  curiosity. 

The  road  consisted  more  largely  of  gravel  than 
of  sand.  It  was  a camel  trail,  hard  and  flat,  often 


Into  the  Desert  of  Gobi 


133 


one  or  two  hundred  feet  in  width.  A more  magnif- 
icent gravel  road  could  hardly  be  imagined. 

The  telegraph  line,  which  we  followed  all  the 
way,  was  a great  help.  Our  enemy,  the  Chinese 
government,  had  set  up  guide-posts  for  us  all  the 
way  through  the  desert,  making  it  a “staked  plain.” 
At  night  we  traveled  toward  the  Great  Dipper,  at 
the  left  of  the  pole  star.  On  cloudy  nights,  when 
the  stars  were  hidden,  or  the  trail  divided,  so  that 
we  were  in  doubt  as  to  the  way,  one  glimpse  of  a 
pole  assured  us  that  we  were  on  the  right  track. 

A Dane  named  Scheirn,  in  the  summers  of  ’98 
and  ’99,  had  set  up  this  line  to  Urga.  With  a 
large  force  of  Chinese  workmen,  he  “planted 
poles,”  as  they  say,  at  the  rate  of  ten  miles  a day. 
With  a machine  turned  by  coolies,  holes  of  the 
exact  size  required  were  bored  in  the  ground,  and 
the  poles,  which  had  been  hauled  from  Urga,  were 
let  down  in  them.  To  carry  these  and  the  coils  of 
wire  used  many  carts,  and  four  hundred  horses 
were  completely  worn  out.  One  of  our  men, 
Munghe,  helped  Mr.  Scheirn  in  this  undertaking, 
and  was  the  chief  manager  of  the  water-supply. 
As  he  knew  where  all  the  wells  and  springs  were 
along  this  route,  it  was  most  fortunate  that  we  had 
him  with  us. 


134 


A Flight  For  Life 


Boy's  Boarding  School. — Kalgan 


Into  the  Desert  of  Gobi 


135 


The  wells  near  Mongol  tents  were  dug  by  per- 
sons who  lived  there.  Besides  these,  there  were 
wells  dug  by  merchants,  whose  caravans  go  up  and 
down  this  road.  The  water  was  ten  or  fifteen  feet 
from  the  surface.  In  many  places,  the  soil  would 
be  good  if  irrigated.  Some  day  Yankee  wells  and 
windmills  may  change  a considerable  part  of  the 
desert  of  Gobi  into  a garden. 

Our  intention  in  going  to  Urga  was  to  find  a 
temporary  refuge  till  the  storm  in  China  should 
pass  over  and  we  might  return  to  our  work.  Some 
of  the  party  were  unwilling  to  go  so  far,  and  felt 
certain  that  they  should  stop  at  the  first  tele- 
graph station.  As  that  place  is  in  the  desert,  to 
divide  the  caravan  would  have  been  impracticable. 
No  one  could  remain  there  long.  Food  would 
give  out,  the  animals  would  starve,  one’s  money 
would  be  spent  in  buying  sheep,  and  no  more 
could  be  obtained.  The  drivers,  hired  to  go  to 
Urga,  could  not  and  would  not  stop  in  the  desert. 
Urga  was  the  nearest  abode  of  civilized  men,  and 
thither  we  must  go.  To  argue  the  subject  was 
fruitless.  The  facts  convinced  every  one  in  due 
time. 

The  captain  early  gave  his  command:  "Roberts, 
cheer  them  up !”  He  explained : "There  will  be 


136 


A Flight  For  Life 


need  enough  of  it,  before  we  have  crossed  the 
desert.  I want  you  to  make  it  your  special  work 
to  sing  and  help  all  the  others  to  keep  cheerful.” 
In  obedience  to  this  word,  I sang  at  all  hours  of 
the  day,  and  astonished  the  natives  all  the  way  to 
Siberia.  To  mitigate  our  miseries,  we  sang  Jubilee 
Songs,  psalm-tunes,  negro  melodies,  and  Gospel 
Hymns,  and  even  “The  breaking  waves  dashed 
high”  in  the  midst  of  the  desert  of  Gobi. 

The  day  after  leaving  Hara  Oso,  I was  elected 
treasurer  of  the  caravan.  Since  no  funds  were 
placed  in  my  hands,  I was  simply  an  accountant. 
When  a bargain  was  made,  the  captain  would  ask 
some  one  who  had  money  to  pay,  and  he  must  re- 
port to  me  the  amount,  to  be  placed  to  his  credit. 
Gold  and  silver  dollars,  light  and  heavy  ounces  of 
silver,  large  and  small  cash,  and  afterward  Russian 
coins,  were  used.  With  varying  rates  of  exchange, 
the  accounts  were  a complicated  problem.  Some- 
times, when  too  weary  to  do  anything  but  sleep,  I 
was  roused  from  sound  slumber  to  put  down  an 
item  of  accounts.  Yet  I was  expected  not  only  to 
be  cheerful,  but  to  cheer  up  the  whole  “combina- 
tion.” 

One  other  office  to  which  I was  self-appointed, 
was  that  of  inspector  of  the  camp.  Whenever  we 


Into  the  Desert  of  Gobi 


1 37 


were  breaking  camp,  I remained  till  the  others  had 
gone,  to  see  whether  anything  had  been  left  by 
mistake.  A Chinese  proverb,  often  quoted  when 
leaving  an  inn,  is  this : “Money  cannot  buy  the 
privilege  of  going  back  to  take  one  more  look.” 
Once  I found  an  iron  tent-pin,  and  another  time 
a spoon,  each  of  which  was  precious,  because  the 
demand  exceeded  the  supply.  The  inspection  was 
a check  on  both  carelessness  and  thieving.  Things 
which  we  believed  to  have  been  stolen  were 
brought  back  because  we  were  searching  for  them, 
and  the  explanation  was  offered,  that  a driver  had 
picked  up  the  article  to  prevent  its  being  lost. 
Often,  as  I walked  about  the  smouldering  camp- 
fire, after  all  my  companions  had  gone,  these  lines 
of  Thomas  Moore  came  to  mind : — 

“I  feel  like  one  who  treads  alone 
Some  banquet-hall  deserted, 

Whose  lights  are  fled,  whose  garlands  dead 
And  all  but  him  departed” : — 

only  our  “banquet”  had  consisted  of  poor  food, 
and  not  enough  of  that. 

We  made  an  early  start  on  the  fifth.  After  pass- 
ing a brackish  well,  where  we  watered  the  horses, 
the  axle  of  Mr.  Lundquist’s  cart  broke.  It  was 
replaced  with  a new  one,  and  the  event  only  caused 


138 


A Flight  For  Life 


delay.  In  the  afternoon  we  went  on  under  a blaz- 
ing sun,  and  descended  into  the  bed  of  an  ancient 
sea.  The  action  of  the  waves  on  the  shore  could 
easily  be  traced.  The  rocks  were  a conglomerate, 
full  of  flints  of  many  colors.  Beneath  there  were 
strata  of  red  and  white  clay,  visible  to  a depth  of 
about  eighty  feet.  The  landscape  was  desolation  in 
the  extreme.  Sand  had  been  blown  into  heaps 
around  the  clumps  of  thorny  weeds,  making  the 
ground  appear  to  be  full  of  graves,  dismal  in  sug- 
gestion, and  affording  countless  lurking-places  for 
wolves.  At  one  place  we  could  see,  far  to  the  west, 
a tiny  stream  of  water,  and  the  grass  on  its  banks, 
how  beautiful ! and  how  tantalizing!  After  crossing 
a dry  river-bed  called  the  ‘‘River  of  Gobi,  we  came 
to  a wretched  Mongol  tent,  where  a few  of  our 
thirsty  throng  got  a drink  of  goat’s  milk.  “First 
come,  first  served.”  The  most  of  us  were  bitterly 
disappointed.  On  and  on  we  went  in  the  dim 
moonlight,  over  a road  that  seemed  interminable ; 
until  at  last  we  reached  a camp-fire,  and  stopped 
for  the  night  on  the  gravel,  desperately  tired  and 
hungry  and  thirsty.  Our  feelings  were  faintly 
portraved  in  this  stanza  of  a familiar  poem  . 

1 “A  Winter’s  Ride  in  Chihli,”  by  Rev.  Jonathan  Lees,  of 
Tientsin. 


Into  the  Desert  of  Gobi 


139 


“At  length  in  hungry,  wretched  case, 

Almost  too  tired  to  wash  your  face, 

You  welcome  any  halting-place, 

That  you  can  find  in  Chihli.” 

Only  this  was  not  Chihli,  but  Gobi. 

We  had  made  a forced  march  to  Ponghong,  the 
first  telegraph  station,  one  hundred  and  eighty- 
two  miles  from  Kalgan,  and  one  fourth  of  the  way 
to  Urga.  We  had  hoped  to  get  news,  but  the  Rus- 
sian merchants  of  Kalgan,  fleeing  northward  as 
we  were,  but  by  a different  route,  had  cut  the  wires, 
lest  a message  be  sent  before,  to  have  them  ar- 
rested. 

As  we  made  our  food  that  night,  little  beetles 
swarmed  into  it,  and  into  the  fire.  It  was  impossi- 
ble to  tell  how  many  we  ate.  They  were  a pest. 
We  called  the  place  Ponghong  Beetle  Camp,  and 
went  to  sleep,  thankful  that  at  least  one  long  sec- 
tion of  our  journey  was  ended. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


TO  OUDE,  THE  HEART  OF  THE  DESERT 

Close  to  our  camp,  and  at  only  a few  minutes’ 
walk  from  the  telegraph  station,  there  was  a well 
which  had  been  dug  in  connection  with  building 
the  station,  and  had  been  walled  up  with  logs. 
The  water  was  unusually  clear  and  pure,  so  the 
ladies  insisted  on  staying  there  half  a day,  to  do 
some  necessary  washing.  The  gentlemen  visited 
the  telegraph  office,  and  were  cordially  received  by 
the  English-speaking  Chinese.  They  were  reform- 
ers in  spirit,  and  would  be  in  danger  if  the  Boxers 
should  come  this  way.  The  only  news  they  could 
give  us  was  that  there  were  five  hundred  Cossacks 
in  Urga, — which,  however,  was  not  true. 

The  day  was  scorching  hot.  We  traveled  from 
noon  to  midnight.  After  the  moon  had  set,  the 
road  divided,  and,  in  the  darkness,  the  caravans  be- 
came separated  into  two  parts.  The  men  in  the 
rear  part  naturally  were  anxious,  because  all  the 
food  was  with  the  other  part.  After  all  efforts  to 
find  the  road  had  failed,  three  revolver  shots  at- 

140 


To  Oude,  the  Heart  of  the  Desert  141 

tracted  the  attention  of  the  other  company,  just  as 
they  were  going  into  camp.  They  sent  a Mongol 
to  find  us,  and  bring  us  in.  Tired,  hungry  and 
lame  from  constant  riding,  we  could  hardly  keep 
our  temper,  nor  dare  speak  to  any  one ; and  yet, 
sitting  by  the  fire,  our  misery  compelled  us  to  try 
to  cheer  up,  and  we  sang: — 

“You’ll  not  get  lost  in  the  wilderness; 

Let  my  people  go : 

With  a lighted  candle  in  your  breast; 

Let  my  people  go. 

Go  down,  Moses, 

’Way  down  in  Egypt’s  land, 

Tell  ole  Pharaoh, 

Let  my  people  go.” 

After  what  seemed  an  age  of  waiting,  the  food 
was  cooked,  and  we  ate  as  only  those  can  eat  who 
are  famished ; but  whether  it  was  supper  or  break- 
fast, we  could  not  tell,  because,  just  as  we  were 
ending  our  meal,  the  day  began  to  break. 

After  sleeping  less  than  three  hours,— though 
Mrs.  Larson  and  some  others  spent  all  the  time 
in  cooking, — we  rubbed  our  sleepy  eyes,  and  be- 
held a wonderful  sight.  Near  to  our  camp  there 
appeared  to  be  a beautiful  foreign  city,  built  neither 
in  Chinese  nor  Mongolian  style,  perfectly  white, 


142 


A Flight  For  Life 


except  that  there  were  red  trimmings  on  the  build- 
ings, which  fairly  gleamed  in  the  rays  of  the  morn- 
ing sun.  They  seemed  new,  and  uninjured  by  the 
weather.  To  see  anything  so  clean  in  the  desert 
was  a wonder.  We  ascertained  that  this  was  a 
Mongolian  temple  built  in  Tibetan  style.  That 
explained  its  foreign  appearance.  It  was  exquisite- 
ly beautiful,  and  how  sorry  we  were  that  we  had 
not  a camera. 

Going  on  once  more,  we  were  oppressed  by  the 
heat ; yet  the  mornings  and  evenings  were  so  cool 
that  we  dared  not  leave  off  much  clothing.  The 
large  black  dog  which  had  followed  us  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles,  disappeared.  Walking  so 
far  over  the  gravelly  road,  he  had  become  lame. 
We  might  have  saved  him,  if  we  had  had  a pig’s 
shoe,1  such  as  are  made  in  Kalgan.  He  must  have 
remained  with  the  Mongols  at  that  temple ; for  the 
Mongols  eat  so  much  meat  that  there  are  always 
plenty  of  bones  near  their  dwellings ; and  the  peo- 

1 The  pig’s  shoe  is  simply  a few  layers  of  coarse  cloth, 
sewn  through  with  hempen  cord.  In  the  lack  of  steam 
transportation,  pigs,  sheep  and  cattle  have  to  walk  long 
distances  to  market.  The  pig’s  foot,  going  over  the  rocky 
road,  becomes  lame.  Then  the  shoe  is  placed  under  the 
foot,  turned  up  in  front  and  behind,  a ■ string  is  passed 
through  the  folds  of  the  cloth,  and  tied  around  the  ankle. 
Then  the  animal  recovers  from  his  lameness,  and  is  able 
to  arrive  at  his  destination. 


To  Ondc,  the  Heart  of  the  Desert 


H3 


pie  would  treat  the  dog  well,  for  he  would  be  a 
good  accession  to  the  dogs  guarding  the  temple. 

We  overtook  an  ox-cart-  caravan,  going  to  Urga. 
The  men  were  acquainted  with  the  missionaries  of 
the  Oberg  party,  and  were  kindly  disposed,  having 
left  China  before  the  Boxer  excitement  had  reached 
their  homes.  While  we  were  at  lunch,  Mr.  Yacob- 
son  bought  from  them  a bag  of  millet,  which  he 
brought  into  camp  amid  our  enthusiastic  cheers. 
Our  chances  of  buying  food  in  the  desert  were  so 
rare,  that  we  commemorated  the  event  by  naming 
the  place  “Buy  Millet  Hill.” 

For  several  days  the  Mongol  soldiers  had  been 
watching  the  wells,  to  see  that  we  should  not  put 
poison  in  them.  This  was  according  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  king  of  the  Sunits,  who  also  forbade 
his  people  to  sell  horses  or  camels  to  us.  He  had 
heard  the  Chinese  say  that  foreigners  poison  the 
wells.  The  soldiers  were  so  anxious  to  keep  us 
away  from  the  wells,  that  they  willingly  drew  all 
the  water  needed  for  ourselves,  our  camels  and 
horses,  and  saved  us  a great  deal  of  hard  work. 
Still,  it  was  not  pleasant  to  be  treated  with  sus- 
picion. 

We  bought  two  sheep,  went  a few  miles  farther, 
and  lodged  at  “Sunday  Rest  Camp,”  where  a little 


144 


A Flight  For  Life 


sparse  but  tall  grass  was  growing  up  through  the 
sand.  To  see  the  caravan  turn  from  the  road,  and 
go  into  the  field  to  encamp,  was  a joyful  sight  to 
us  weary  pilgrims. 

On  Sunday,  the  eighth,  Mr.  Fagerholm  led  our 
meeting.  Afterward  we  took  turns  bathing  in  the 
small  blue  tent,  and  had  a delightful  day  of  rest. 
Yet  we  were  not  free  from  anxiety,  for  the  people 
showed  some  hostility,  the  soldiers  were  watching 
us,  the  well  was  far  away,  and  we  feared  lest  our 
water  supply  should  be  cut  off.  About  sunset  a sud- 
den wind  struck  the  tent,  and,  as  the  tent-pegs  could 
not  hold  firmly  in  the  sand,  it  blew  the  tent  away 
from  over  us.  It  gave  one  a queer  sensation,  to 
be  suddenly  bereft  of  one’s  house,  and  be  left  out- 
of-doors.  Mr.  Larson  said  that  such  accidents  fre- 
quently . happen  in  Gobi,  and  that  sometimes  the 
iron  tent-pegs,  flying  through  the  air,  strike  a per- 
son on  the  head  with  fatal  effect. 

One  day  Mr.  Soderbom  bought  from  a merchant 
caravan  a better  cart  than  his  old  one,  in  which 
Mrs.  Soderbom  had  been  made  constantly  seasick. 
The  one  which  he  bought  at  least  had  the  virtue 
of  having  circular  wheels. 

Mrs.  Larson’s  cart  was  a comfortable  one  in 
which  to  ride,  and  looked  increasingly  picturesque 


To  Oudc,  the  Heart  of  the  Desert  145 

after  the  matting  on  the  top  had  been  gnawed  to 
pieces  by  the  camels.  Mrs.  Sprague’s  vehicle  was 
too  short  for  comfort  when  sleeping,  even  if  not 
full  of  baggage.  None  of  the  carts  had  springs, 
nor  any  such  luxury  as  a “well,”1  in  which  one 
could  put  his  feet.  The  ox-carts  drawn  by  camels, 
in  which  the  other  ladies  and  children  endured 
their  misery,  were  only  wretched  apologies  for 
carts.  The  wheels  had  not  a particle  of  iron,  but 
were  made  of  wooden  blocks,  mortised  and  dove- 
tailed together,  and  held  together  by  little  wedges 
of  wood.  As  they  jolted  over  the  road,  these  kept 
falling  out,  and  the  caravan  had  to  be  stopped 
while  new  wedges  were  being  made  and  driven  in. 
Whenever  we  washed  our  hands  and  faces,  or  any- 
thing else,  we  must  not  pour  the  precious  water  on 
the  ground,  but  on  the  cart-wheels,  to  swell  them, 
and  make  them  hold  together.  Nevertheless,  they 
entirely  broke  down,  and  then,  most  providentially, 
we  met  Chinese  trading  caravans,  from  which  we 
were  able  to  buy  more  cart-wheels  of  the  same 
sort. 

1 To  ride  in  a Peking  cart,  one  must  sit  like  a Turk;  but 
foreigners,  *in  doing  so,  get  aching  bones.  To  remedy  the 
evil,  a hole  is  cut  in  the  floor  of  the  cart,  and  a box  fast- 
ened below,  in  which  a person  can  place  his  feet.  The 
relief  to  one’s  knees  is  unspeakable.  The  hole  and  box  are 
called  a “well.” 


146 


A Flight  For  Life 


The  wheels  did  not  pretend  to  be  circular.  The 
people  who  made  them  did  not  care  how  much 
they  jolted.  The  ladies,  however,  did  care.  One 
of  them  had  been  advised  by  her  physician  never 
again  to  ride  in  a springless  cart;  yet  she  could  not 
avoid  riding  in  one  a thousand  miles.  The  camels 
gave  a swinging  motion  to  the  carts,  which  cause'd 
seasickness.  One  lady  could  not  ride  in  a cart,  and 
could  not  ride  on  a horse,  though  we  did  every- 
thing in  our  power  to  make  them  comfortable  ; and 
so  she  walked  several  hundred  miles, — more  than 
half  the  way  to  Urga. 

One  would  suppose  that,  in  the  wild  wastes  of 
Gobi,  there  would  be  no  lack  of  fresh  air,  or  of 
room.  On  the  contrary,  the  stench  of  decaying 
carcasses,  and  the  breath  of  the  camels  after  eat- 
ing wild  onions,  were  horrible ; and,  in  a narrow 
part  of  the  road,  one  of  our  party  narrowly  escaped 
having  his  leg  crushed  between  two  carts. 

Some  days,  when  the  weather  was  intensely  hot, 
we  remained  in  camp  until  evening,  and  made 
longer  stages  by  moonlight.  One  day  we  stopped 
at  “Daybreak  Tired  Camp.”  It  was  absurd  to  give 
this  name  to  any  place,  because  night  travel  and 
complete  exhaustion  were  a common  experience. 

A noticeable  silence  reigned  in  the  desert.  There 


To  Oudc,  the  Heart  of  the  Desert 


147 


was  no  twittering  of  birds,  nor  chirping  of  insects. 
The  place  seemed  a paradise  for  chameleons, — 
beautiful,  many-colored  little  fellows, — that  ran 
from  our  pathway,  and  stopped  to  look  up  at  us. 


Kalgan  Missionaries.  October,  1899 

The  tenth  of  July  was  a day  long  to  be  remem- 
bered. We  lunched  at  “Bone  Hill,”  where  the 
ground  was  white  with  the  bones  of  camels,  horses 
and  oxen  that  had  starved  in  the  desert.  The 


148 


A Flight  For  Life 


sight  was  enough  to  increase  our  apprehensions, 
lest  our  animals  and  people  might  perish  in  the 
wilderness.  The  heat  was  terrific.  Fuel  was 
scarcely  to  be  found.  “Morning  Star,”  on  the 
camel  with  the  water-buckets,  had  to  go  so  far  to 
get  water  that  it  took  him  four  hours  to  make  two 
trips.  We  were  sorry  that  he  had  no  time  for  rest. 
It  was  hard  to  wait  so  long  for  water,  when  we 
were  suffering  from  thirst. 

Going  on  in  the  evening,  we  descended  once  more 
into  the  bed  of  an  ancient  sea,  where  the  heaps  of 
sand,  as  in  the  other  similar  place,  gave  the  ap- 
pearance of  an  immense  cemetery.  Our  people 
were  so  desperately  sleepy,  that  whenever  the  cara- 
van stopped,  as  it  frequently  did,  some  of  the  men 
would  lie  down  at  full  length  on  the  ground  and 
be  asleep  in  a moment.  On  starting  again,  we 
shook  them,  to  awaken  them ; but,  as  the  proces- 
sion was  long,  and  the  night  dark,  the  moon  being 
under  a cloud,  one  or  two  were  left  far  behind, 
and  had  to  be  sent  for ; we  did  not  want  the 
wolves  to  get  them.  We  struggled  with  the 
road  all  night,  while  the  moon  struggled  with 
the  clouds.  In  the  morning  there  was  a shower 
of  rain.  On  and  on  we  went,  when  it  seemed 
impossible  to  ride  or  walk  a step  farther.  Mr. 


To  Oude,  the  Heart  of  the  Desert 


149 


Larson  had  said  to  me  the  day  before : “We 
are  going  to  have  a terribly  long  night’s  journey, 
but  do  not  tell  any  one,  for  they  may  as  well  not 
suffer  it  in  anticipation.”  Although  he  had  fore- 
warned me,  my  expectations  did  not  equal  the 
reality.  After  we  had  sighted  some  tents  in  the  dis- 
tance, we  went  down  to  a lower  level,  and  after 
what  seemed  an  age  of  going  by  sheer  will-pow'er, 
we  encamped  near  a wretched  well,  containing  a 
saturated  (?)  solution  of  salt  or  soda.  The  night 
march  had  occupied  eleven  hours,  and  in  twenty- 
four  hours  we  had  gone  forty  miles,  at  the  rate  of 
two  and  a quarter  miles  an  hour ! The  camels’ 
feet  moved  like  slow  pendulums,  and,  notwith- 
standing our  anxiety  to  make  haste,  it  was  im- 
possible to  go  faster. 

A beautiful  blue  lake  lay  before  us.  Larson  said 
that  it  had  no  water,  but  only  dried  mud,  contain- 
ing a large  amount  of  salt.  Near  by  was  a cara- 
van from  Kalgan,  that  had  waited  here  a month, 
vainly  expecting  a rain  which  would  break  up  the 
cakes  of  mud  and  salt,  after  which  they  could  be 
hauled  to  Kalgan.  All  of  the  salt  for  sale  in  that 
city  is  of  this  kind.  We  called  the  place  “Lake 
View  Camp.” 

Our  circumstances  were  miserable.  We  were 


A Flight  For  Life 


150 

exhausted  to  the  last  degree,  too  tired  to  eat,  and 
able  only  to  sleep ; yet  the  work  to  be  done  would 
not  permit  sleep.  It  was  almost  impossible  to 
find  the  necessary  fuel.  We  had  come  out  of  the 
district  inhabited  by  the  Sunit  tribe,  into  that  oc- 
cupied by  the  Meregen  Mongols,  who  did  not 
watch  the  wells,  and  were  willing  to  sell  us 
some  horses.  Mr.  Larson  bought  two,  for  those 
we  had  been  riding  were  half-starved  and  worn 
out. 

At  night  we  went  on  to  “Stolen  Horses  Camp.” 
The  water  there  was  comparatively  good,  which 
was  a joy  to  us,  as  the  water  at  “Lake  View 
Camp”  had  been  intolerably  bad.  In  the  morning 
Mr.  Larson  bought  three  horses  and  a camel  for 
one  hundred  ounces  of  silver;  and,  while  he  was 
doing  so,  two  of  our  horses  were  stolen  in  broad 
daylight.  Our  leader  was  anxious  to  depart  from 
that  thievish  place.  When  I asked  him  whether 
we  should  not  wait  and  try  to  find  the  horses,  no 
matter  how  long  it  might  take,  as  we  had  waited  to 
find  the  lost  camel,  he  said : “No,  we  are  in  the 
desert,  and  our  food  might  give  out.  We  have 
gone  so  far  without  losing  any  animals,  that  we 
may  hope  not  to  lose  any  more.”  In  fact,  these  were 
the  only  ones  lost  on  the  journey,  and  it  is  evident 


To  Oudc,  the  Heart  of  the  Desert  151 

that  in  general  onr  servants  were  vigilant  as  well  as 
faithful. 

Going  on  at  night,  the  road  became  unusually 
narrow  and  rocky.  Mr.  Lundquist’s  cart  broke 
down,  and  delayed  the  caravan.  It  seemed  as  if 
he  and  his  driver,  “Morning  Star,”  frequently  re- 
pairing the  wheels  with  a hatchet,  made  them 
worse  and  worse.  They  kept  chipping  the  rims,  to 
make  them  more  nearly  circular,  and  drove  in  the 
wedges  so  hard  that  they  split  the  wood.  The  de- 
lays were  so  vexatious,  and  the  danger  of  an  entire 
breakdown  was  so  serious,  that  we  dreaded  to  hear 
the  sound  of  the  hatchet. 

That  night  the  moonlight  was  magnificent,  and 
seemed  as  bright  as  daylight.  At  three  a.m.  we 
stopped  at  a place  among  some  mountains,  where 
there  was  a well  with  clear,  cold  water.  After 
drinking  such  vile  stuff  at  “Lake  View  Camp,”  it 
was  a joy  to  encamp  beside  this  pure  and  delicious 
water.  We  called  the  place  “Mountain  Spring 
Well  Camp.” 

At  noon,  under  a burning  sun,  I tramped  over 
the  mountains  with  Mr.  Lundquist  two  long  hours, 
searching  for  a caravan  from  which  he  might  buy 
better  wheels.  We  were  successful,  but  left  the 
bargain  to  be  made  by  Mr.  Larson.  On  the  moun- 


152 


A Flight  For  Life 


tains  we  saw  small  shrubs  with  handsome  golden 
stems ; and,  walking  at  random,  we  found  right 
before  our  feet  an  ancient  Chinese  coin  of  the  time 
of  Christ.  After  we  returned  to  camp,  the  mer- 
chants came  there,  anJ  Mr.  Larson  bought  two 
sets  of  cart-wheels  and  a horse.  Thus  Dr.  Mur- 
dock’s cart,  as  well  as  Mr.  Lundquist’s,  was  sup- 
plied with  stronger  wheels. 

Starting  again  in  the  evening  with  great  reluc- 
tance,— for  we  wished  to  stay  by  that  good  well,  or 
else  take  it  with  us. — we  saw  many  more  shrubs, 
which  appeared  like  bunches  of  green  on  the  moun- 
tains, and  were  a delight  to  the  eye,  after  traveling 
so  far  through  the  arid  desert.  After  midnight  we 
arrived  at  “Granite  Rocks  Camp,”  where  there  was 
good  water  and  a fine  new  watering-trough.  The 
latter  was  not  unimportant,  seeing  that  we  had  so 
many  animals  to  water. 

Tire  next  day  we  passed  a small  lake,  where  Lar- 
son went  hunting  for  ducks.  Although  he  did  not 
get  any  at  this  place,  the  fact  that  he  was  seen 
with  a gun  was  to  our  advantage,  and  may  have 
made  the  natives  less  inclined  to  attack  us.  After 
resting  in  a valley  at  “No  Grass  Camp,”  we  passed 
on  among  higher  mountains  than  any  we  had 
seen  before,  in  the  midst  of  which  we  saw  an  elm- 


To  Oudc,  the  Heart  of  the  Desert 


153 


tree, — the  first  tree  that  we  had  seen  since  climbing 
Hanore  Hill,  three  hundred  and  fifty-four  miles 
away!  We  met  an  ox-cart  caravan  that  had  come 
from  Urga,  and  rejoiced  to  see  that  the  oxen  were 
fat,  for  that  showed  that  the  grass  was  good  on  the 
other  side  of  the  desert.  That  night  we  made  a 
stage  of  thirteen  hours,  traveling  our  longest  dis- 
tance in  any  one  day  and  night,  viz.,  forty-nine 
miles.  Going  at  the  same  slow  rate  as  before,  it  is 
easy  to  see  that  we  took  little  time  to  eat  or  to 
sleep.  One  of  the  camels  ran  away,  broke  his  sad- 
dle, and  made  himself  lame.  Our  eyes  were  de- 
lighted with  the  sight  of  six  more  trees.  A driz- 
zling rain  came  on,  with  a high  wind,  and  at  last 
we  reached  Oude1  Telegraph  Station,  half  way  from 
Ivalgan  to  Urga. 

It  was  Sunday,  July  15.  We  tried  to  dry  our 
clothing  and  held  a meeting  for  prayer.  The  well, 
walled  with  logs,  contained  very  good  water.  In 
the  afternoon  we  visited  the  telegraph  station,2  and 
heard  startling  news,  which  had  been  received  by- 
wire  from  Siberia.  It  was  stated  that  all  the  am- 
bassadors in  Peking  had  been  killed,  and  the  for- 

1 Oude  is  close  to  a mountain  called  “Ertni  Obo,”  which 
means  “Treasure  Mountain.”  It  is  369  miles  from  Kalgan. 

2 The  house  was  built  of  corrugated  iron,  and  coils  of 
wire  were  piled  up  by  the  door. 


154  H Flight  For  Life 

eign  houses  there  and  in  Tientsin  had  been  de- 
stroyed ; but  that  all  the  guards  and  missionaries  in 
Peking  and  the  foreigners  in  Tientsin  had  gone 
in  safety  to  Shanghai.  At  the  time  we  could  not 
know  that  this  news  was  untrue,  but  realized  that 
our  friends,  if  still  in  Peking,  were  in  the  greatest 
danger;  and  we  prayed  much  for  them,  and  for 
the  missionaries  in  the  interior,  who  either  were 
being  massacred,  or  were  fleeing  for  their  lives. 

In  the  cool  of  the  evening  the  ladies  went  with 
us  to  the  telegraph  station,  to  see  the  curious  build- 
ing and  the  instruments  and  to  meet  the  English- 
speaking  Chinese.  While  the  most  of  us  were 
there,  a furious  storm  of  dust  occurred,  followed 
by  a downpour  of  rain.  Our  tent  was  blown 
down,  and  much  of  the  baggage  was  soaked  with 
water.  It  was  well  that  the  ladies  were  under 
the  shelter  of  a good  roof.  After  returning,  as  the 
rain  came  on  again  we  crowded  together  around 
the  camp-fire  in  the  wet  tent,  and  cheered  ourselves 
by  singing  hymns  and  sacred  songs. 

At  Oude  we  noticed  with  joy  that  our  food 
supplies  were  not  half  used  up.  Having  lived  on 
short  rations,  we  could  hope  that,  by  continuing 
to  do  so,  we  should  escape  having  a serious  famine 
in  the  desert.  A sheep  had  been  killed  once  in  a 


To  Onde,  the  Heart  of  the  Desert  155 

few  days,  a considerable  part  of  which  was  eaten 
by  the  seven  hungry  Mongols,1  and  the  remainder 
had  to  be  divided  among  twenty  hungry  mission- 
aries. We  were  so  careful  to  make  it  last  a long 
time,  that  some  even  of  this  precious  meat  was 
wasted  by  being  kept.  Its  quality  was  not  im- 
proved by  carrying  it  under  a hot  sun  in  a bag 
on  a camel;  but  how  else  could  it  be  taken?  We 
had  flour,  but  no  way  to  raise  or  bake  it ; so  that 
we  ate  biscuits  that  were  steamed  and  perfectly 
soggy.  The  oatmeal  could  not  be  thoroughly 
cooked,  for  our  meals  were  made  in  haste,  and 
the  fire  was  very  poor.  Our  chief  articles  of  diet 
were  thin  rice  and  millet  gruels,  which  filled  but 
did  not  sufficiently  nourish  us.  The  rice  spoiled  in 
the  bag,  taking  on  new  forms  of  life.  The  gruel 
had  gravel  in  it,  which  was  very  hard  for  our  teeth. 
The  reason  for  this  was  evident.  The  Chinese 
farmers  thresh  their  grain  on  an  earthen  threshing- 
floor,  and  sweep  up  the  grain  and  gravel  together. 
Although  we  worked  many  hours,  trying  to  sepa- 
rate them,  we  could  not  do  so  to  satisfaction. 

1 Gilmour  tells  us  that  two  Mongols  have  been  known  to 
eat  a whole  sheep  at  a single  meal.  Colquhoun  says : “A 
Mongol  will  eat  more  than  ten  pounds  of  meat  at  a sitting, 
and  some  have  been  known  to  devour  an  average-sized 
sheep  in  the  course  of  twenty-four  hours.” 

An  experience  of  hunger  in  the  desert  makes  it  easy  to 
believe  such  stories  as  these. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


GOOD  GRASS  AND  “WELCOME  CAMP’’ 

Leaving  Oude,  we  passed  a caravan  that  had 
come  from  Kalgan,  and  stopped  for  the  noon  at 
“No  Well  Camp.”  Fortunately  there  was  some 
water  in  our  buckets,  but  it  was  not  enough  for 
thirty  people  to  use  for  cooking  and  drinking ; and 
to  wash  our  hands,  faces  or  dishes  was  out  of  the 
question.  While  at  this  place  I saw  two  of  our 
Mongols  sewing  up  a camel’s  foot.  The  soles  of 
the  camel’s  feet  wear  out,  just  as  the  soles  of  our 
shoes  do,  and  then  they  must  be  patched.  The  men 
made  the  camel  lie  down  on  his  side,  tied  his  feet 
together,  so  that  he  could  not  kick,  and  another 
man  sat  on  the  camel’s  head,  to  keep  it  from  mov- 
ing. Then  the  men  used  a long  needle,  and  thongs 
somewhat  like  shoestrings,  and  sewed  a patch  on 
the  camel’s  foot,  passing  the  needle  through  the 
callous  edges  of  the  sole.  It  was  not  an  act  of 
cruelty,  but  of  mercy,  to  save  him  from  suffering 
with  sore  feet.  A new  skin  grows  between  the 
patch  and  the  foot,  and  the  camel  recovers  from  his 
156 


Good  Grass  and  “Welcome  Camp'’ 


15  7 


lameness.  Sometimes  an  entire  new  sole  is  sewed 
on.  The  leather  used  is  that  of  a horse's  stomachy 
After  the  process  of  patching  the  feet  was  begun, 
every  day  one  or  another  of  the  camels  needed  the 
same  treatment. 

Going  in  the  night  to  “Rock  Well  Camp,”  we 
arrived  the  next  morning  at  “Good  Grass  Camp." 
Here  we  suddenly  came  into  the  region  where  the 
grass  was  good.  What  a delight  it  was  to  see  the 
poor  famished  animals  at  last  having  plenty  to  eat ! 
Their  eager  manner  showed  the  joy  they  felt.  It 
was  the  first  good  grass  that  we  had  seen  since 
leaving  the  Jahara  district,  thirteen  days  before. 
During  this  long  time,  the  horses  virtually  had  had 
nothing  to  eat,  for  we  could  not  carry  anything  for 
them,  and  they  had  to  live  on  their  own  flesh,  plus 
water  and  the  northwest  wind.1  The  camels  were 
able  to  eat  the  weeds,  which  grew  in  every  place, 
but  the  horses  could  not  eat  them.  The  camels 
also  were  better  able  to  endure  the  lack  of  water. 
The  animals  kept  growing  thinner,  and  became 
“fine”  animals  in  the  Chinese  sense.  If  you  tell 

’Yet  this  is  the  common  method  of  crossing  the  desert. 
Travelers  generally  start  with  animals  in  good  condition, 
and  expect  them  to  come  through  the  worse  for  their  hard- 
ships. The  only  hope  for  the  poor  creatures  is,  that  after- 
ward a long  period  of  rest  and  good  grazing  may  enable 
them  to  recuperate. 


158 


A Flight  For  Life 


a Chinaman  that  his  horse  is  “thin,”  he  will  feel 
insulted ; but  if  you  say  he  has  “a  fine  horse,”  he 
will  not  be  offended,  and  will  understand  your 
meaning,  that  his  horse  is  fine,  as  a needle  is, 
because  it  is  very  thin. 

At  this  place  beautiful  specimens  of  petrified 
wood  were  found,  but  they  were  of  no  account 
compared  with  the  grass.  We  had  come  to  realize 
that  grass  and  water  were  the  most  precious  things 
that  we  could  find.  Here  there  was  a good  moun- 
tain spring.  A number  of  Mongol  tents  could 
be  seen,  for  the  people  of  neighboring  districts 
had  driven  their  animals  over  to  this  valley,  to  give 
them  the  benefit  of  the  grass. 

Our  next  stopping  places  were  “Windy  Camp,” 
“Bad  Water  Camp,”  and  “Sand  Flat  Camp.” 
Though  the  grass  was  good,  the  water  was  worse 
than  in  the  desert.  Our  sufferings,  when  the  water 
was  unfit  for  use,  can  be  imagined  better  than  de- 
scribed. At  the  last  place  the  ground  was  strewn 
with  beautiful  pebbles,  and  many  large  moths,  of  a 
pale  yellow  color,  fluttered  around.  The  next  day 
we  lunched  at  “Agate  Camp,”  where,  by  a little 
searching,  we  found  beautiful  specimens  of  agate. 
After  another  long  night  journey,  we  came  to  a 
well,  hungry,  thirsty,  and  exhausted  with  traveling 


Good  Grass  and  “ Welcome  Camp” 


159 


and  lack  of  sleep.  Here,  we  thought,  we  could 
rest  a little,  and  eat  and  drink ; but  no, — the  water 
was  saturated  with  filth,  and  absolutely  undrinka- 
ble. The  place  was  “Horrid  Water  Camp.”  Our 
disappointment  was  most  keen.  After  catching  a 
little  sleep,  while  the  animals  were  grazing,  we 
pulled  up  stakes,  and  went  on  four  hours  more,  over 
red  granite  hills,  till  we  came  to  a pool  of  rain-water, 
about  as  big  as  a New  England  farmhouse.  Here, 
though  the  water  would  not  be  called  sanitary,  we 
were  able  to  eat  and  drink,  rest,  and  even  bathe 
in  the  little  tent,  and  the  ladies  did  their  washing. 
The  half  day’s  rest  at  “Rain  Water  Camp”  greatly 
refreshed  us  all. 

Starting  again  at  dark,  the  stars  were  hidden  by 
clouds,  and  the  men  riding  on  lame  horses  could 
not  keep  up  with  the  slow-going  camels.  We 
could  not  see  an  object  twenty  feet  away. 
Whether  or  not  there  was  a road  could  not  be 
discerned.  The  carts  were  far  apart,  and  the 
camels’  feet  did  not  make  noise  enough  to  guide 
those  who  were  following.  As  our  food  was  with 
the  caravan,  to  lag  behind  and  be  lost  in  that  vast 
wilderness  would  be  to  starve,  if  not  to  be  a prey 
to  the  wolves.  The  moon  rose,  and  went  into  a 
black  cloud,  not  relieving  the  darkness  at  all.  If 


i6o 


A Flight  For  Life 


we  rode,  the  horses  kept  stumbling ; if  we  dis- 
mounted and  walked,  they  went  still  slower.  We 
pitied  them  for  their  sore  backs  and  tender  hoofs, 
but  there  was  no  way  in  which  their  sufferings 
could  be  relieved.  Mr.  Williams  and  I had  a diffi- 


The  Ta  Shao  Yeh  and  Family 


cult  task.  To  keep  together,  and  yet  follow  in 
touch  with  the  camel-train,  required  a long  and 
agonizing  struggle,  and  seemed  more  than  we 
could  do.  To  add  to  our  miseries,  the  rain  came 
down.  We  lost  the  road,  and  could  not  find  the 
well,  and  seemed  in  desperate  straits,  until,  to  our 


Good  Grass  and  “Welcome  Camp ” 


161 


relief  and  joy,  the  order  was  given  to  pitch  the 
tents.  The  noise  of  the  hammers  driving  the  tent- 
pegs  into  the  ground  was  music.  It  was  a privi- 
lege to  lie  down  on  the  wet  grass  and  sleep.  How- 
ever, we  had  a few  oilcloths  to  spread  under  our 
bedding. 

The  morning  dawned  bright  and  clear,  and  the 
world  looked  as  if  it  never  had  been  under  a cloud. 
In  sport,  Larson  gave  us  a specimen  of  his  marks- 
manship. He  had  lost  one  boot,  and,  having  no  use 
for  the  other,  set  it  up  to  be  shot.  The  toe  of  the 
boot  being  turned  from  him,  at  a distance  of  a 
hundred  yards,  he  put  a bullet  directly  into  the 
back  seam.  The  lineman  came  from  the  third  tele- 
graph station,  Tuerin,  to  repair  the  line,  but  had 
no  news  for  us.  As  the  day  was  Mr.  Lundquist’s 
birthday,  we  celebrated  the  occasion  with  five 
o’clock  coffee.  We  were  in  the  Bele  tribe  of  Mon- 
gols, who  had  been  noted  for  years  as  those  most 
unfriendly  to  foreigners. 

The  sheep  bought  here,  like  those  bought  before, 
were  difficult  to  drive.  If  driven  by  hand,  they 
would  not  keep  up  with  the  caravan.  When  tied 
to  a cart,  they  would  hold  the  rope  against  the 
wheel  until  it  was  sawn  in  two,  and  then  run  away. 
Chased  by  the  Mongols  on  horses,  and  caught,  they 


A Flight  For  Life 


162 

still  were  hard  to  manage.  The  best  method  was 
to  eat  one  sheep,  and  tie  the  other  by  a long 
rope  to  the  pommel  of  “Bonnie’s”  Mexican  sad- 
dle. Then  he  would  run  around  and  around  the 
horse,  or  dart  between  his  legs,  or  get  his  rope 
tangled  up  among  the  legs  of  the  camels.  We 
all  voted  the  sheep  to  be  an  “indispensable 
nuisance.” 

Sometimes  the  camel  hauling  Mrs.  Soderbom’s 
cart  would  be  frightened,  and  run.  The  tin  cans 
and  cooking  utensils  hung  on  the  outside  of  the 
cart  made  too  great  a clatter.  The  dishes  in  the 
food-box,  if  not  packed  carefully,  would  make  the 
camels  dance.  This  was  not  pleasant  for  the 
ladies  in  the  carts. 

On  July  22  we  were  at  “Tall  Grass  Camp.”  The 
ground  was  covered  with  sand,  but  the  sparse  and 
coarse  grass  was  a foot  or  two  in  height.  The 
Mongols  described  tall  grass  in  these  words:  “You 
put  your  saddle  down,  and  then  you  can’t  find  it.” 
Here  we  spent  the  Sabbath,  but,  in  view  of  our 
necessities,  we  traveled  Saturday  and  Sunday 
nights.  Early  in  the  morning,  Mr.  Fagerholm, 
accompanied  by  “Morning  Star,”  set  out  to  ride  all 
day,  to  carry  a telegram  to  the  Tuerin  telegraph 
station.  It  was  in  these  words : — 


Good  Grass  and  “Welcome  Camp ” 


163 


“Russian  Consul,  Urga : 

Six  Americans  seventeen  Swedes  going  Urga  request 
protection.  Wire  reply. 

“Larson.” 

We  all  felt  the  solemnity  of  this  message.  The 
answer  would  be  to  us  a sentence  of  life  or  of 
death. 

The  Mongol  mandarin  of  Urga  had  commanded 
each  tribe  to  send  thither  its  quota  of  two  thousand 
five  hundred  troops,  to  fight  the  Russians.  All  day 
long,  as  we  rested  in  “Tall  Grass  Camp,”  we  could 
see  small  parties  of  Mongol  horsemen  going  to 
Urga  to  join  the  army.  They  drove  sheep  before 
them,  some  for  themselves  to  eat  on  the  way,  and 
others  to  give  as  presents  to  the  Living  Buddha. 
As  we  saw  these  soldiers  going  north,  we  felt  our 
need  of  such  help  as  the  Russians  could  give. 

Fortunately  we  had  some  claims  upon  their  sym- 
pathy. The  consul-general,  Mr.  Schischmarioff, 
knew  Mr.  Larson,  and  would  be  interested  in  him. 
Thirty  years  before,  his  brother’s  wife  died  in  Kal- 
gan,  and  her  little  child  had  been  cared  for  in  the 
home  of  Mr.  Williams  for  half  a year.  Further,  the 
kindness  of  Dr.  Murdock,  in  treating  the  Russian 
merchants  and  their  families  in  Kalgan  when  sick, 
was  known  to  the  consul-general.  So  there  were 


164  A Flight  For  Life 

three  bonds  of  friendship  between  the  Russians 
and  ourselves,  as  well  as  the  mutual  interest  of  all 
civilized  peoples,  against  whom  the  Boxers  had 
taken  up  arms ; and  our  anxiety  was  mingled  with 
hope. 

The  country  in  sight,  fringed  with  low  moun- 
tains, was  beautifully  green,  and  flocks  and  herds 
grazing  made  the  view  still  more  picturesque.  We 
held  our  Sunday  meeting,  and  bought  some  horses. 
Exchanging  two  worn-out  horses  for  fresh  ones 
only  cost  three  dollars.  The  horses  were  cheap  in 
more  senses  than  one. 

It  was  painful  to  see  the  animals  suffer.  A few 
days  of  eating  good  grass  could  not  restore  them 
to  their  former  condition.  When  we  started  in 
haste  from  Hara  Oso,  we  could  not  have  the  horses 
shod,  and  the  gravel  wore  their  hoofs  short,  and 
made  them  tender-footed.  The  Chinese  saddles  let 
the  weight  of  the  riders  press  on  the  horses’  backs, 
and  injured  them  badly.  This  was  partly  the  fault 
of  the  drivers,  who  neglected  to  strap  up  the  sad- 
dles tightly,  and  yet  rode  furiously,  regardless  of 
results.  They  were  accustomed  to  do  this  with 
their  own  horses,  and  of  course  did  no  better  with 
ours.  For  some  time,  when  the  horses  were  worn 
out  we  sold  them  and  bought  new;  but  afterward. 


Good  Grass  and  “Welcome  Camp”  165 

in  the  grass-land,  we  led  them  along  the  road,  and 
kept  them  as  long  as  possible  before  selling,  so 
that  they  could  rest  and  recuperate,  and  be  sold  to 
better  advantage.  Before  reaching  Siberia,  several 
of  us  were  leading  three  or  four  horses  each. 
This  was  our  “cavalry.”  Though  many,  they  were 
not  worth  much.  Mongol  horses,  at  best,  are 
neither  large,  strong  nor  good-looking.  They  are 
far  inferior  to  Siberian  and  American  horses. 

In  buying  in  Mongolia,  the  system  of  making 
change  is  peculiar.  You  have  a lump  of  silver, 
worth  a dollar  or  two,  which  you  cannot  divide. 
You  buy  strips  of  felt,  to  use  as  camel-saddles,  and 
take  straps  for  the  horses’  feet,  and  some  firewood, 
to  make  up  the  value.  One  item  of  expense  was 
one  dollar  and  nineteen  cents  for  “sticks,  argol  and 
iron  shoes.”  The  two  sets  of  cart-wheels  were 
bought  for  six  taels,  but  the  lumps  of  silver 
weighed  forty  cents  more.  The  difference  was 
“taken  out”  in  matches. 

On  Monday  morning  we  went  to  “Chalcedony 
Hill,”  where  the  ground  was  white  with  fragments 
of  geodes.  At  some  places  it  was  strewn  with 
beautiful  pebbles  of  all  colors,  looking  like  confec- 
tionery. The  rain  ceased  falling,  and  the  weather 
became  cold  and  clear.  In  the  evening  we  reached 


A Flight  For  Life 


1 66 

“Granite  Spring  Camp,”  where  a stream  of  good 
water  flowed  from  beneath  a large  red  rock. 

The  next  morning  one  of  our  servants,  Mende 
Bayara,  took  his  bundle  of  clothing,  and  left  us, 
riding  one  of  our  best  horses,  and  leading  another. 
He  said  that  he  was  going  back  to  get  something 
that  he  had  lost.  This  was  the  lame  man  with  a 
blind  eye.  His  face  had  a mean  look,  he  was  always 
begging,  and  we  suspected  treachery.  However, 
a few  hours  later  he  overtook  us  with  the  horses. 
For  the  first  time  since  crossing  the  desert,  we  saw 
thick  dew  on  the  grass. 

Starting  again,  we  passed  some  lakes,  where  Mr. 
Larson  shot  three  ducks.  Several  Mongols  came 
on  their  horses,  and  witnessed  the  shooting.  We 
knew  that  they  considered  it  murder  as  well  as 
trespassing  on  their  dominions.  Still,  they  saw  that 
we  had  guns,  and  could  use  them. 

Our  armament  consisted  of  one  rifle,  one  shot- 
gun and  two  revolvers,  with  plenty  of  ammunition. 
If  seriously  attacked,  this  would  have  been  a small 
number  of  weapons  for  so  large  a company.  Never- 
theless, our  having  some  firearms  doubtless 
shielded  us  from  attack. 

We  were  approaching  Chwerin  mountain,  which 
was  high,  craggy  and  grand.  The  road  was  very 


Good  Grass  and  “ Welcome  Camp”  167 

rough.  The  telegraph  station  was  on  the  east  side 
of  the  mountain,  and  the  temple  of  Chwerin  on  the 
west.  The  road  led  among  huge  boulders  of  red 
granite.  As  there  were  many  encampments  of 
Mongols  in  sight,  we  knew  that  the  region  was 
comparatively  well  populated,  and  therefore,  in  this 
time  of  war,  dangerous  to  foreigners.  The  Russian 
merchants  fleeing  to  Siberia  did  not  think  it  safe 
to  pass  by  this  place,  and  went  another  way.  Mr. 
Larson  and  our  Mongols  had  chosen  this  route 
because  it  was  the  nearest.  We  found  it  sufficiently 
long,  and  fortunately  passed  Chwerin  without 
harm. 

As  we  turned  a corner,  the  temple  came  sud- 
denly into  view.  It  was  a charming  sight.  There 
were  three  large  temple  buildings,  gilded  and 
glittering  in  the  sunlight,  surrounded  by  many 
little  wooden  houses,  painted  white  with  red  trim- 
mings. In  these  houses  lived  the  lamas,  or  priests. 
There  are  two  thousand  of  them  here  in  the 
summer,  and  six  or  eight  thousand  in  the  winter. 
Quite  a number,  riding  fine  horses,  came  out  and 
followed  us,  asking  who  we  were,  where  we  were 
going,  and  many  other  questions.  If  they  had  been 
armed  and  we  not,  our  meeting  with  them  would 
have  been  serious.  As  it  was,  we  had  reason  to  be 


1 68 


A Flight  For  Life 


on  our  guard.  The  Mongols  everywhere  thought 
that  we  were  Russian  soldiers,  and  frequently 
asked  us  : “How  many  more  companies  of  Russians 
are  going  from  China  to  Urga?” 

Proceeding  around  the  mountain,  we  saw  behind 
it  immense  blocks  of  granite,  piled  up  by  nature 
like  walls  and  fortifications.  A short  distance  be- 
yond, to  our  great  joy,  Mr.  Fagerholm  and  “Morn- 
ing Star’’  rejoined  us,  bringing  the  following 
answer  from  the  Russian  Consul : — 

“Tuerin,  Lasson. 

I will  propose  for  you  that  is  possible.  Please  to  make 
yours  stop  immediately  in  Consulate,  where  you  will  have 
some  rooms  first  time. 

“Schischareff1.” 

On  receiving  this  good  news,  we  flung  up  our 
hats,  and  sang  the  long  meter  doxology.  Just 
at  that  place  there  was  a tiny  stream  called  the 
Tuerin  River.  We  encamped  to  let  the  animals 
graze.  Having  received  such  good  news  of  a 
warm  welcome  awaiting  us  in  Urga,  we  named 
the  place  “Welcome  Camp.”  The  message  caused 
great  rejoicing.  It  gave  us  a hope  of  living  to 

’Considering  that  this  message  to  Americans  and  Swedes 
was  sent  in  English  by  a Russian  official,  and  transmitted 
by  Chinese  operators,  it  might  well  be  called  an  internation- 
al telegram. 


Good  Grass  and  “Welcome  Camp ” 169 

reach  a place  of  safety  and  civilization.  Beneath 
our  feet  were  candytuft,  sweet  alyssum,  and  some 
curious  unknown  wild-flowers.  The  weather  was 
showery.  The  fuel  was  wet  and  cooking  difficult. 
Many  Mongols  came  and  were  anxious  to  sell 
horses.  When  we  left  this  place,  two  little  dogs 
followed  the  caravan.  They  gave  us  a deal  of 
amusement.  We  started  on  the  last  quarter  of  the 
road  to  Urga  with  renewed  courage,  but  patience 
must  still  be  exercised,  for  the  distance  of  one 
hundred  and  forty-seven  miles,  which  a horseman 
could  have  covered  in  two  days,  would  require  six 
days  of  traveling  at  our  slow  rate  of  progress. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


TO  THE  CITY  OF  THE  LIVING  BUDDHA 

After  leaving  “Welcome  Camp,”  Mr.  Larson 
sent  two  men  to  a village  to  buy  fuel.  Their 
horses  were  frightened  by  the  lightning,  and  ran 
into  the  herd  of  that  place,  from  which  they  could 
not  be  separated  during  the  night.  This  our  men 
gave  as  the  reason  for  not  returning  before  morning. 
We  had  some  suspicion  that  they  might  have  met 
old  friends,  and  drank  too  much  wine.  However 
this  may  have  been,  we  foreigners  had  to  drive  the 
train  of  pack-camels  all  night. 

For  various  reasons,  the  train  frequently  broke 
up.  As  the  camels  were  tied  by  strings  fastened 
to  wooden  pegs  passed  through  their  noses,  they 
could  not  be  tied  firmly,  lest  they  should  suffer 
when  pulled.  A camel  would  stop  to  nibble  a little 
grass,  the  others  would  go  on,  and  the  string  that 
fastened  them  together  would  break,  or  pull  off 
from  the  saddle  of  the  front  one.  Then  they  must  be 
caught,  and  tied  together  again  in  the  long  pro- 
cession. Their  loads  would  tip  to  one  side  or  the 
170 


To  the  City  of  the  Living  Buddha  171 

other,  and  have  to  be  readjusted,  in  order  to 
balance. 

We  passed  over  apparently  endless  stretches  of 
water  and  mud.  The  ruts  were  deep,  and  the  carts 
jolted  fearfully;  whereupon  the  ladies  got  out  to 
walk,  and  could  hardly  keep  up  with  the  hurrying 
“combination.”  Between  watching  the  camels,  the 
baggage  and  the  passengers,  to  say  nothing  of  try- 
ing to  keep  the  road,  we  had  no  time  for  medita- 
tion. Constant  shouting  was  required  to  urge 
the  camels  on.  It  made  our  throats  hoarse.  A 
candle  in  a lantern  on  the  captain’s  cart,  occasion- 
ally seen  at  a distance,  gave  us  our  only  clue  to  the 
road.  It  was  not  very  bright,  but  its  use  was  like 
that  of  the  pillar  of  fire  by  night  that  led  the 
Israelites.  Surely  we  had  experienced  much  of  a 
divine  guidance,  and  ought  not  to  complain,  but 
be  thankful. 

The  weather  cleared,  revealing  the  Great  Dipper, 
toward  which  we  were  traveling.  Like  the  shep- 
herds of  old,  we  searched  the  skies.  Early  in  the 
morning  a beautiful  sight  presented  itself.  In  the 
east  we  beheld  the  planets  Mars  and  Venus,  and 
the  old  crescent  moon. 

On  the  day  then  dawning,  Dr.  Murdock  and  Mrs. 
Sprague,  Mr.  Sandberg  and  I,  were  the  cooking 


172 


A Flight  for  Life 


committee,  and  had  hard  work  with  damp  fuel  and 
muddy  water,  trying  to  boil  the  water,  and  prepare 
the  food.  Little  Yatarawa,  Dr.  Murdock’s  camel 
driver,  helped  us  indefatigably.  He  would  lead  his 
camel  all  night  long,  and  help  in  cooking  all  day, 
apparently  never  sleeping,  and  yet  never  complain- 
ing. He  won  our  admiration  and  love.  As  he  fed 
the  fire,  he  would  whistle  to  make  the  wind  blow. 
He  really  thought  that  the  wind  would  hear  him. 

Another  day  brought  us  to  “Glass  Well  Camp.” 
After  forty  hours  of  incessant  work,  I was  un- 
speakably tired.  To  my  dismay,  I had  to  ride  a 
“dead”  horse.  He  appeared  fairly  good,  but  was 
so  worn  out  by  traveling  through  the  desert,  that 
he  could  not  carry  me  and  keep  up  with  the  cara- 
van ; and,  exhausted  as  I was,  I preferred  to  walk. 

Heavy  thunder-showers  were  passing  around  us, 
and  at  last  one  of  them  broke  upon  us  in  a fearful 
hail-storm.  The  downpour  of  hailstones  continued, 
I should  judge,  fully  ten  minutes.  The  minutes 
seemed  like  hours.  The  hail  pounded  our  heads, 
and  seemed  as  if  it  would  kill  us.  We  tried  to  hide 
beneath  the  carts,  but  that  was  of  no  avail,  for  the 
hail  beat  down  on  all  sides.  The  camels  kept  back- 
ing with  the  carts,  and  we  feared  they  would  run 
away,  and  that  the  ladies  and  children  would  be 


To  the  City  of  the  Living  Buddha 


i/3 


injured.  It  was  difficult  to  hold  the  animals,  which 
were  suffering  with  us.  Some  of  the  horses  were 
frightened,  and  ran,  but  were  afterwards  recovered. 

When  the  hail  ceased,  we  were  standing  in  two 
or  three  inches  of  mingled  water  and  ice.  Our 
clothes  were  thoroughly  drenched.  As  Mr.  Lar- 
son was  better  off,  having  been  in  his  cart,  and  as 
the  rain  continued,  he  kindly  sent  me  his  mackin- 
tosh, which  would  have  been  more  serviceable  if 
it  had  come  earlier.  We  were  thankful  that  when 
the  storm  struck  us  we  were  not  in  camp,  for  in 
that  case  all  of  the  baggage  would  have  been  on 
the  ground  and  wet ; but  as  the  trunks  and  bags  of 
provisions  were  on  the  camels,  and  covered  with 
oilcloths,  they  were  not  only  protected  from  rain, 
but  also  held  up  from  the  wet  ground. 

Soaked  as  we  were,  we  could  do  nothing  but  go 
on.  Streams  of  water  flowed  across  our  path,  and 
we  had  to  pass  through  two  torrents  that  were 
cold,  swift  and  wide  but  not  deep.  Fortunately 
the  prairie  at  that  place  was  comparatively  level, 
so  that  the  streams  could  not  bar  our  way.  The 
little  dogs  with  great  difficulty  followed  us  across 
the  rivers.  We  saw  prairie-dogs  that  had  been 
drowned  by  the  water  filling  their  holes.  As  we 
went  over  a hill,  one  of  our  dogs  attacked  a prairie- 


174  A Flight  for  Life 

dog,  which  was  standing  up  at  the  entrance  to  his 
hole  and  barking ; whereupon  the  latter  caught  the 
puppy’s  ear,  and  would  not  let  go,  even  when  the 
other  dog  came  up,  and  held  on  till  the  men  arrived. 
We  dined  at  “Mirror  Lake  Camp,”  and  drank  a 
curious  Mongol  tea,  made  of  parched  millet  and 
butter  in  boiling  water.  In  the  evening  we  went  on 
through  miles  of  mud  to  “Good  Sleep  Camp,”  half 
way  from  Tuerin  to  Urga. 

The  next  morning  we  felt  very  much  refreshed, 
having  had  eight  hours  of  sleep,  which  was  a re- 
markable experience.  Our  lodging-place  was  not 
so  damp  as  it  seemed.  As  we  went  on,  Mr.  Larson 
and  Mr.  Oberg  shot  some  prairie-dogs,  the  fat  of 
which  was  useful  for  greasing  the  cart-wheels  after 
the  oil  which  we  had  taken  with  us  gave  out.  The 
weather  was  showery,  but  the  landscape  was 
beautiful,  the  grass  and  flowers  having  the  appear- 
ance of  early  autumn. 

Mr.  Larson  told  us  that  there  were  inscriptions 
on  rocks  fifty  miles  east  of  where  we  were,  which 
were  made  by  the  Uigurs,  or  ancient  Mongols. 
We  regretted  that  we  had  not  the  leisure  to  go 
and  explore  them. 

About  sunset  a Mongol  servant  of  a Russian 
merchant  overtook  us,  having  come  on  a horse 


To  the  City  of  the  Living  Buddha 


175 


from  Kalgan  in  sixteen  days, — a greater  distance 
that  that  which  we  had  ridden  in  thirty-four  days. 
He  told  us  that  five  hundred  soldiers  of  the  notori- 
ous Yu  Hsien’s  army  had  been  sent  from  Peking 
to  defend  Kalgan  against  the  Russians ; and  that 
they  terrorized  the  magistrate,  compelling  him  to 
release  seven  men  who  had  been  caught  stealing 
from  our  houses,  and  who  were  being  punished 
with  the  wooden  collar  or  cangue.  The  magistrate 
had  lost  his  face  and  dared  not  appear  in  public, — 
the  general  who  had  protected  us  had  lost  his 
life,1  and  the  deputy  had  lost  his  button,  or  rank. 
The  soldiers  looted  and  burned  our  homes,  schools 
and  dispensary,  as  well  as  the  telegraph  office,  and 
branch  offices  of  the  Tientsin  wool  merchants. 
Our  Christians  all  had  escaped  in  safety.  The  Ta 
Shao  Yeh,  who  had  been  so  kind  to  us,  and  who 
was  Mr.  Larson’s  landlord,  begged  the  soldiers  not 
to  burn  his  house,  but  in  vain.2  They  also  destroyed 
the  houses  of  the  Russian  merchants,  and  their 
beautiful  little  Greek  Church.  Of  this  our  inform- 
ant had  been  an  eye-witness.  The  Boxers  took  his . 
garment  and  his  two  fine  horses.  He  dared  not 

1 This  information  was  not  correct.  The  general  was 
transferred  to  another  post. 

!We  learned  afterward  that  they  burned  only  the  gate 
and  not  the  house. 


176 


A Flight  for  Life 


make  any  protest.  Then  he  fled  at  night  on  foot 
to  Great  Red  Valley,  twenty  miles  away,  where  he 
obtained  horses  to  ride  to  Urga.1 

This  announcement,  by  a terrified  and  breath- 
less rider,  alarmed  and  disheartened  us,  although 
we  had  not  expected  that  our  houses  would  be 
spared.  We  realized  anew  that  we  were  in  an 
enemy’s  country.  What  condition  of  things  we 
should  find  in  Urga  we  could  not  foresee.  To  pray, 
work  and  go  on  was  all  that  we  could  do.  The 
love  of  our  heavenly  Father,  and  the  friendship  of 
the  Russians,  were  our  only  reliance.  We  had  lost 
our  all, — clothing,  furniture,  books,  pictures,  the 
fruit  of  years  of  literary  work,  and  many  keepsakes 
that  never  could  be  replaced,  but  our  lives  had 
been  spared,  and  we  gave  thanks  and  tried  to 
cheer  up. 

We  asked  the  Mongol  messenger,  on  arriving  at 
Urga,  to  tell  the  consul-general  that  we  were  com- 
ing. Tired  and  hungry,  we  pitched  our  tents  at 
midnight.  When  we  saw  the  dogs  trying  to  steal 
and  eat  the  prairie-dogs,  we  could  not  repress  a 
hearty  laugh. 

The  hustling  cooking  committee  thrust  break- 

1 One  going  far  in  Mongolia  must  have  two  horses  to  ride 
alternately,  since  the  strength  of  one  would  not  suffice  for 
such  distances. 


To  the  City  of  the  Living  Buddha 


1 77 


fast  upon  ns  very  early,  and  we  went  on  our  way. 
At  noon  Mr.  Sandberg  read  us  a long  poem  in 
Swedish,  describing  the  Boxer  troubles  and  out- 
journey.  Again  we  made  a forced  march  of 
thirteen  hours,  more  than  thirty  miles  at  a stretch, 
without  stopping  for  food  or  drink,  and  arrived  at 
“Sunday  Washing  Camp,”  where  there  was  a fine 
spring  of  water. 

Two  or  three  days  before,  fuel1  could  not  be 
found,  and  Mr.  Larson  knocked  to  pieces  some 
boxes,  in  which  we  had  brought;  our  provisions, 
and  used  the  wood  as  fuel.  When  we  had  no  more 
boxes  to  break  up,  there  was  a remarkable  supply 
of  fuel : — the  lightning  had  struck  a number  of 
telegraph  poles,  and  splintered  them,  so  that  we 
had  plenty  of  chips  with  which  to  cook  the  food. 

On  one  of  these  days  we  passed  a pole  that  had 
been  sawn  down.  From  the  fresh  tracks  of  animals 
and  carts,  Mr.  Larson  knew  that  it  had  been  done 
by  a powerful  servant  of  the  Living  Buddha,  who 
had  preceded  us  by  a few  days  all  the  way  from 
Hara  Oso.  This  man  was  notoriously  arrogant, 
and,  like  the  other  natives,  hated  the  telegraph  as 
a “foreign”  affair.  They  called  it  a “foreign  play- 
thing.” He  used  the  wood  of  the  pole  for  fuel, 

1 That  is,  argol. 


178 


A Flight  for  Life 


during  the  rainy  days,  when  the  argol  would  not 
burn.  If  he  had  sawn  a pole  north  of  Urga,  he 
could  hardly  have  escaped  punishment ; for  the 
Russians  control  that  line,  and  decapitated  two  men 
for  similar  offences.  If  the  wire  were  cut  and 
stolen,  the  punishment  would  not  be  so  severe. 
We  saw  many  places  where  such  theft  had  occurred. 
The  Russians  had  provided  against  this  contin- 
gency by  hanging  an  extra  wire  below  the  other 
two.  This  was  cut  by  the  thieves,  as  the  one  most 
accessible,  and  the  important  ones  were  left  in- 
tact. 

On  this  Sunday,  for  the  first  time,  we  saw  the 
high  mountain  tops  covered  with  pine  forests. 
They  looked  like  the  mountains  of  Japan,  and  were 
a delight  to  our  eyes.  We  held  our  usual  Sunday 
meeting,  but  the  work  of  washing  had  to  be  done. 
It  was  a joy  to  know  that  we  were  only  seven- 
teen miles  from  Urga.  In  the  distance  we  could 
see  Mongols  manufacturing  felt  while  riding  on 
horses.  The  felt  which  they  make  is  thicker, 
stronger  and  more  impervious  to  rain  than  that 
which  the  Chinese  make.  Whatever  the  Mongols 
do,  they  must  do  on  horseback,  and  we  must  admit 
that  they  have  been  somewhat  inventive  to  have 
discovered  such  a method  of  manufacture. 


To  the  City  of  the  Living  Buddha  179 

We  made  what  preparations  we  could  for  arriv- 
ing at  Urga.  We  thought  we  could  go  there  in 
one  night,  but  were  stopped  by  a heavy  rain  when 
only  halfway.  A friendly  caravan  from  China 
lodged  with  us  at  “Almost  There  Camp.”  The 
place  being  one  frequented  by  robbers,  the  Chi- 
nese pitched  their  tents  close  to  ours,  so  that  we 
might  protect  them.  We  had  been  fleeing  from  the 
Boxers  for  so  many  days  that  it  seemed  strange 
to  hear  any  Chinese  asking  protection  from  us. 
We  were  suspicious  of  them,  and  did  not  like  to 
have  them  for  near  neighbors,  but  made  the  best 
of  the  situation,  and  no  harm  resulted. 

At  last,  on  Monday  morning,  July  30,  in  the 
mercy  of  God,  we  reached  Urga.  After  going  a 
few  miles,  we  crossed  the  Tola  River  on  a good 
bridge  that  had  been  built  by  the  Russians.  The 
foreign-looking  structure  was  a sign  to  us  of  the 
nearness  and  influence  of  those  who  would  be- 
friend us.  Before  us  lay  a beautiful  grassy  valley, 
dotted  with  flocks  and  tents,  and  surrounded  by 
forest-covered  mountains ; a Chinese  business  city 
in  the  nearer  part,  and  large  glittering  temples 
beyond ; the  white  palace . of  the  Living  Buddha, 
covered  with  green  tiles,  a little  south  of  the  city ; 
and,  in  the  midst  of  all,  the  stately  buildings  of  the 


i8o 


A Flight  for  Life 


Russian  consulate.  Mr.  Larson,  Mr.  Fagerholm 
and  I rode  on  before,  to  give  early  notice  that 
the  caravan  was  coming.  We  all  received  a cordial 
welcome  from  the  consul-general  and  his  subor- 
dinates, and  fourteen  rooms  were  placed  at  our 
disposal,  including  a large  kitchen,  which  was  very 
convenient.  The  camel-drivers  lived  in  a tent, 
pitched  in  one  of  the  yards  of  the  consulate.  We 
were  glad  to  be  among  friends,  and  to  enjoy  a 
good  rest. 

We  had  come  to  the  city  of  the  Living  Buddha! 
In  Mongolia  and  Tibet  there  are  not  a few  of  these 
living  idols.  The  one  in  Llassa  is  the  highest  in 
rank.  This  one  in  Urga  is  the  second.  People 
come  from  afar  to  receive  his  blessing.  Some 
Living  Buddhas  attain  their  rank  by  doing  im- 
portant works,  such  as  building  temples,  or  carry- 
ing Buddhistic  teaching  into  distant  lands.  More 
are  born  Buddhas.  A large  temple,  with  hundreds 
or  thousands  of  priests,  must  have  its  Living 
Buddha.  When  he  dies,  the  priests  search  out  a 
child  born  soon  after,  into  whom,  they  say,  the  soul 
of  their  former  “Gege”  has  entered  by  transmigra- 
tion. The  boy  is  allowed  to  remain  with  his 
mother  until  he  is  seven  years  of  age,  when  he 
is  brought  to  the  temple  to  be  worshiped.  He  is 


To  the  City  of  the  Living  Buddha  181 

given  everything  lie  desires,  and  becomes  a wealthy 
and  spoiled  young  man. 

The  Living  Buddha  is  supposed  to  be  divine. 
One  who  gives  him  anything,  or  receives  anything 
from  him,  must  do  it  in  a kneeling  posture  and 
with  both  hands.  One  of  these  Buddhas  visited 
us  in  Kalgan.  He  was  thirty-five  years  old,  ate 
cake  and  drank  tea  like  an  ordinary  mortal,  and 
said,  when  about  to  go:  “You  have  a doctor  here, 
have  n’t  you?”  “Yes,”  we  answered.  “Then,”  said 
he,  “I  would  like  to  have  a little  medicine  for  my 
nose,  for  it  is  stopped  up  with  a cold.”  We  thought 
that,  if  he  was  a god,  as  his  followers  declared, 
he  ought  to  heal  himself  by  faith. 

The  Living  Buddha  of  Urga  is  a Tibetan  about 
thirty  years  old.  His  common  title  is  the  “Bogda.” 
He  can  speak  three  or  four  languages,  and  has 
traveled  widely  as  a Buddhist  missionary.  Ten 
thousand  lamas  do  his  bidding.  He  lives  like  a 
prince  and  rides  a bicycle. 

The  old-fashioned,  conservative  priests  wear 
yellow  gowns ; those  of  the  progressive  party  wear 
red.  The  priests  had  built  stockades  around  their 
tents,  to  keep  off  the  cold  wind.  To  show  his 
authority,  the  “Bogda”  commanded  them  to  cut 
down  the  stockades.  They  begged  him  to  pity 


A Flight  for  Life 


182 

them,  and  cancel  his  order,  but  he  was  not  to  be 
persuaded,  and  Mr.  Nastegard  heard  them  chop- 
ping down  the  logs  at  all  hours  of  day  and 
night.  The  secret  of  his  power  is  that  he  has  fifty 
or  more  hired  assassins  who  punish  the  refractory 
priests. 

The  spiritual  power  amounts  to  temporal  power, 
and  the  Living  Buddha  is  the  real  ruler  of 
northern  Mongolia.  In  authority,  the  Mongo- 
lian mandarin  and  Chinese  resident  are  not  to  be 
compared  with  him.  The  Russian  consul-general 
represents  the  coming  power.  Sometime  he  may 
place  the  “Bogda”  in  a lowrer  position,  and  occupy 
his  summer  palace. 

The  following  poem  was  written  by  the  Rev. 
Mark  Williams,  when  we  were  traveling  through 
the  desert : — 

SONG  OF  THE  URGA  PILGRIM 
Farewell  to  the  plains  of  the  Flowery  Land ! 

We  flee  from  the  rage  of  the  fierce  Boxer  Band. 

Both  Yankees  and  Swedes  form  our  strange  Gypsy  throng; 
Our  caravan  moves,  we  are  inching  along. 

Chorus : 

Inching  along,  we  are  inching  along, 

At  the  pace  of  a snail  we  are  inching  along. 

Our  horses  are  hardy,  our  camels  are  strong, 
We  all  shall  reach  Urga  by  inching  along. 


To  the  City  of  the  Living  Buddha 

That  we  all  “lend  a hand,”  this  is  well  understood, 

So  some  pick  the  argol,  while  some  cook  the  food. 

Our  leader  is  Larson,  to  whom  we  belong; 

At  word  of  command,  we  keep  inching  along. 

Constantly  breathing  Mongolian  air, 

Hunger  is  sauce  for  our  plain,  wholesome  fare ; 

The  cooks  are  the  ladies,  whose  praises  we  sing; 
Their  mutton  and  millet  are  fit  for  a king. 

Weary,  we  stretch  out  our  limbs  on  the  ground ; 

Our  dreams  are  delightful,  our  slumbers  profound : 

But  the  voice  of  our  captain  rings  out  clear  and  strong, 
“Stop  snoring ! get  up,  and  be  inching  along !” 

In  the  Desert  of  Gobi  are  rare,  precious  stones; 

In  the  Desert  of  Gobi  are  strewn  camels’  bones. 

The  sprightly  chameleon  glides  swift  from  our  feet, 

And  far  in  the  haze  bounds  the  antelope  fleet. 

At  midnight  the  caravan  halts  at  the  camp ; 

The  bright  blazing  fire  is  both  candle  and  lamp; 

Tired  and  hungry,  we  take  the  late  meal, 

And  silently  off  to  our  couches  we  steal. 

The  things  that  are  common  all  men  will  despise, 

But  these,  in  the  desert,  we  most  highly  prize; 

For  water  is  worth  more  than  huge  bags  of  gold, 

And  argol  than  diamonds  of  value  untold. 

Traveling  by  day,  or  traveling  by  night. 

Our  "Great  Combination”  is  no  mean  sight; 


184 


A Flight  for  Life 


And  funnier  far  than  circus  or  clown, 

When  the  camel  rolls  up,  and  Sandberg  rolls  down. 


The  "Ship  of  the  Desert”  is  oft  in  a calm; 

For  slowness  all  vessels  must  yield  it  the  palm. 

With  eye  on  the  Pole  Star,  we  cannot  steer  wrong, 

Eut  safe  reach  the  harbor  by  inching  along. 

Daily  fighting  the  dust  and  the  dirt, 

Yet  where  is  the  man  who  can  keep  a white  shirt? 
Scorched  by  the  wind,  and  burnt  by  the  sun, 

Mongols  we’ll  be  when  the  journey  is  done.1 

Mr.  Sandberg  was  the  fat  man  of  our  company. 
He  found  it  difficult  to  ride  a camel.  When  one 
wants  to  mount,  he  must  jerk  the  string  fastened 
to  the  camel’s  nose,  and  say:  “Sook!  sook ! sook!” 
If  the  camel-train  is  going  he  will  not  stop.  In  any 
case,  as  long  as  he  can  he  will  refuse  to  obey ; but 
if  the  man  is  more  persistent  than  the  camel,  the 
latter  at  last  doubles  himself  up  and  kneels  down. 
Then  one  must  get  on  quickly,  for  the  camel  rises 
quickly,  in  order  to  prevent  the  rider  from  mount- 
ing. Having  got  on,  one  must  grasp  the  camel’s 
hump  in  front  of  the  saddle  and  hold  on  as  if 

1 The  above  poem  is  inserted  in  this  book  by  permission 
of  the  author.  The  book,  ‘‘Across  the  Desert  of  Gobi,” 
from  which  these  stanzas  are  borrowed,  is  “A  Narrative 
of  an  escape  from  the  Boxer  Uprising,”  and  can  be  ob- 
tained from  Prof.  S.  R.  Williams,  Oxford,  Ohio,  by  mail 
postpaid,  price  35  cents. 


To  the  City  of  the  Living  Buddha  185 

for  dear  life ; for  the  camel  rises  with  a lurch  back- 
ward, a lurch  forward,  and  another  backward; 
and  if  you  cannot  hold  on,  you  fall  of?,  as 
Mr.  Sandberg  did.  However,  after  a time  he  be- 
came skilful  in  riding. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


THE  RELIGION  OF  THE  MONGOLS 
The  original  religion  of  the  Mongols  was  Sha- 
manism, or  the  belief  that  all  the  good  and  evil  in 
life  are  brought  about  by  spirits  or  gods,  who  can 
be  influenced  by  priests.  This  cult  is  common 
among  the  uncivilized  Siberians  and  some  tribes  of 
North  American  Indians. 

The  Emperor  Kublai  Khan,  in  the  thirteenth 
century,  is  said  to  have  believed  equally  in  Moses, 
Buddha,  Christ  and  Mohammed.  He  sought  to 
bring  European  priests  to  China  and  Mongolia, 
but  not  succeeding  in  this  project,  he  favored  Tibe- 
tan Buddhism,  and  not  only  brought  lamas  to  Pe- 
king, but  also  appointed  one  of  them  to  be  the 
prince  of  Tibet,  thus  founding,  perhaps,  the  rule  of 
the  Living  Buddha  at  Llassa. 

After  the  Mongols  had  lost  their  political  power, 
they  turned  their  thoughts  more  to  religion.  The 
effect  of  misfortune  was  similar  to  that  which  it 
had  upon  the  Jews,  who  valued  religion  more 
highly  during  the  Captivity  than  when  Solomon 

1 86 


The  Religion  of  the  Mongols  187 

reigned  “in  all  his  glory.”  It  came  as  a consolation, 
showing  them  a sphere  of  activity  and  an  avenue 
to  greatness  which  did  not  depend  on  the  sword 
and  seemed  more  to  be  desired  than  a throne. 

About  the  year  1700,  the  Ordu  Mongols,  who 
were  the  most  barbarous,  and  lived  south  of  the 
Yellow  River,  made  incursions  into  Tibet,  and 
brought  away  some  priests,  who  converted  their 
conquerors.  The  religion  rapidly  spread  among 
the  other  tribes,  and  was  received  with  profound 
faith. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  Buddhism  has  benefited 
the  Mongols  in  some  degree.  It  tamed  their  sav- 
agery by  teaching  the  sin  of  taking  life,  so  that  a 
people  who  had  slaughtered  whole  cities  with  the 
utmost  cruelty,  and  without  compunction,  became 
unwilling  to  kill  even  an  insect.  It  also  led  them 
to  give  up  the  custom  of  offering  human  sacrifices 
at  the  tombs  of  their  chieftains. 

Their  religion  having  been  acquired  together 
with  what  civilization  they  have,  it  seems  to  them 
the  symbol  and  guaranty  of  everything  that  is 
good ; and  a person  who  preaches  a different  faith 
is  regarded  as  a subverter  of  the  foundations  of 
social  order. 

To  the  Mongols,  as  to  us,  the  equal  belief  of  the 


1 88  A Flight  for  Life 

Chinese  in  three  religions  appears  most  absurd. 
They  think  that  Tibetan  Buddhism  is  the  only  true 
religion,  and  that  religion  should  pervade  all  the 
affairs  of  life.  To  them,  religion  is  the  only  im- 
portant concern.  Agriculture,  manufactures,  com- 
merce, art,  education,  literature,  diplomacy  and 
war  are  nothing,  but  religion  is  everything.  Of 
course  some  attention  has  to  be  given  to  temporal 
affairs,  but,  in  their  opinion,  all  such  things  are  a 
distraction  from  religion,  and  should  be  avoided 
when  possible.  Prayer,  works  of  penance,  pilgrim- 
ages and  gifts  to  temples  are  the  means  by  which 
they  seek  to  prepare  for  a future  life. 

They  have  an  acute  sense  of  sin,  but  think  that 
they  can  more  than  balance  the  account  by  doing 
works  of  merit.  To  seek  salvation  from  sin,  or 
healing  of  their  bodily  ills,  they  go  to  many  and 
distant  temples,  and  in  numerous  instances  give 
away  everything  that  they  possess.  Religion  per- 
meates their  every  thought  and  action.  It  is  evi- 
dent that  these  people,  if  converted,  would  make 
the  best  of  Christians.  But  they  are  now  so  igno- 
rant, superstitious  and  bigoted,  and  the  power  of 
their  state-church  is  so  great,  that,  as  has  been 
said,  it  is  doubtful  whether,  in  case  one  should  be- 
come converted,  he  would  be  allowed  to  live. 


The  Religion  of  the  Mongols  189 

Though  they  know  nothing  of  a heavenlv  Father 
and  a divine  Saviour,  they  are  conscious  of  sinning 
against  their  own  better  nature,  against  their  fel- 
low men,  and  against  all  kinds  of  creatures.  Mur- 
der, adultery,  theft  and  lying,  of  course  are 
regarded  as  sins.  They  say  that  we  must  cast  out 
from  our  hearts  the  dog,  the  hog  and  the  serpent ; 
that  is,  lust,  greed  and  malice.  But  they  also  be- 
lieve that  the  killing  of  sheep  for  food,  or  the 
killing  of  vermin,  or  the  accidental  stepping  on  an 
ant,  are  acts  o£  murder. 

A people  living  on  their  flocks  and  herds  cannot 
avoid  taking  life.  It  is  proverbial  that  those  who 
raise  cattle  eat  beef,  those  who  tend  sheep  eat 
mutton,  and  those  who  have  the  care  of  horses  eat 
horse-flesh.  The  Chinese  testify  to  the  meat-eating 
propensities  of  the  Mongols  in  this  saying : 
“Among  the  ‘Saddle-bags’  there  are  a few  good 
families ; when  they  are  hungry,  they  eat  beef  or 
mutton ; and  when  thirsty,  they  drink  tea  with 
milk  in  it.”  The  Mongols  believe  that  they  cannot 
avoid  sinning,  that  they  will  be  punished  for  it  in 
the  future  life,  and  that  the  only  way  to  escape 
suffering  is  to  be  so  religious  as  to  earn  the  re- 
mission of  their  sins.  It  is  evident  that  in  their 
system  of  thought  there  is  no  righteousness  or 


190 


A Flight  for  Life 


forgiving  love.  One  is  held  responsible  for  sins 
that  he  could  not  help  committing,  and  the  debt 
is  not  cancelled  until  he  has  paid  “the  last  farth- 
ing.” 

With  this  false  notion  of  sin,  their  consciences 
are  grievously  burdened.  Mutton  is  their  staple 
food,  and  sheepskins  and  furs  must  be  worn  in  the 
winter.  If  they  light  a fire,  some  insects  will  lose 
their  lives  in  the  flame;  and  when  they  ride,  some 
creatures  are  sure  to  perish  under  the  horses’  hoofs. 
If  we  tell  them  of  the  myriads  of  microscopic 
animals  in  the  water  and  air  that  are  destroyed 
when  any  one  drinks  or  breathes,  they  are  horri- 
fied. 

Once,  in  the  rainy  season,  as  my  tent  was  very 
damp,  I made  a fire  to  dry  it.  Little  beetles  came 
in  swarms,  attracted  by  the  blaze,  climbed  the  fire- 
grate, and  perished  in  the  flame.  I was  careful  that 
no  one  should  see  me,  when  I pushed  some  of 
them  into  the  fire.  If  I had  been  seen,  I should 
have  been  regarded  as  a very  wicked  man. 

My  Mongol  teacher,  one  winter,  was  tormented 
by  the  vermin  in  his  sheepskin  trousers.  To  kill 
them  would  be  sin.  Being  a really  devout  priest, 
but  not  lacking  in  ingenuity,  he  turned  them  with 
the  woolly  side  out,  and  hung  them  on  a post  for 


The  Religion  of  the  Mongols  191 

seven  days,  so  that  they  should  be  thoroughly 
frozen.  Meantime  he  himself  was  somewhat  frozen. 
Afterward  he  not  only  wore  the  clothing  with  com- 
fort, but  also  was  not  burdened  in  his  conscience 
with  the  sin  of  killing  so  many  creatures. 

The  wording  of  the  commandment,  “Thou  shalt 
not  kill,”  is  pleasing  to  them,  for  they  think  that  it 
forbids  killing  anything.  To  make  the  real  mean- 
ing plain,  the  translator  must  add  the  word  “men.” 
This  they  do  not  like,  for  it  seems  to  be  tampering 
with  the  Scripture,  and  spoiling  the  prohibition, 
by  granting  liberty  to  destroy  animals. 

Life  is  what  they  honor,  not  human  life,  but  that 
of  any  living  thing.  The  swallows,  that  bring 
worms  and  insects  all  the  day  to  feed  their  little 
ones,  are  considered  to  be  great  sinners ; but  the 
Mongols  apologize  for  them,  saying:  “They  cannot 
help  it,  for  they  have  no  milk  for  their  young.” 

The  dignity  of  man,  and  the  preciousness  of 
human  life,  are  not  in  their  creed.  Lacking  these 
ideas,  and  many  others  of  heavenly  origin,  they 
have  nothing  to  lift  them  out  of  their  degraded 
condition. 

It  is  said  that  two  boys,  walking  along  a lonely 
road,  passed  some  tiger  cubs  that  were  nearly  dying 
of  hunger.  Having  gone  some  distance  beyond, 


T92  A Flight  for  Life 

one  of  the  boys  excused  himself,  returned,  and  lay 
down  by  the  little  tigers  and  let  them  eat  his  arm. 
The  other  lad,  after  waiting  impatiently,  went  back, 
and  discovered  the  meritorious  deed  of  his  com- 
rade. The  Mongols  consider  this  a praiseworthy 
example  of  vicarious  sacrifice.  The  difference  in 
value  between  the  lives  of  the  boy  and  the  tiger 
does  not  enter  into  their  minds. 

Self-denial  and  mercy  are  inculcated  by  Bud- 
dhism. They  were  exhibited  in  the  life  of  Gautama, 
but  no  more  so  than  in  every  true  Christian 
character.  The  virtue  of  these  principles  is  lost 
when  a boy  is  not  valued  more  highly  than  a brute. 
Buddhism  at  its  best  is  a worsh;p  of  abstract 
goodness,  but,  to  our  minds,  the  kindness  of  the 
boy  to  the  cubs,  in  being  willing  to  die  for  them, 
does  not  atone  for  his  lack  of  filial  piety  in  robbing 
his  parents  of  a son. 

The  low  estimate  of  human  life  is  the  necessary 
result  of  the  dogma  of  the  transmigration  of  souls 
which  the  Mongols  and  Chinese  thoroughly  be- 
lieve. If  the  boy  may  have  been  a tiger,  a rat  or 
an  insect  in  a previous  state  of  existence,  and  the 
tiger  may  become  a man  in  the  next  life,  there 
would  seem  to  be  no  great  difference  between  the 
two.  To  think  that  any  animal  may  be  a,  renewed 


The  Religion  of  the  Mongols 


193 


embodiment  of  one’s  ancestors,  and  that  it  may  be 
our  destiny  to  become  less  than  human  in  the  near 
future,  destroys  the  moral  sense,  depresses  one’s 


Idols  in  Temple. — Kalgan 


self-respect,  and  makes  it  almost  impossible  to  as- 
pire to  live  a noble  life. 

This  religion  never  is  at  its  best,  except  in  books, 
that  is,  in  theory.  Its  doctrines  have  no  power  to 


194 


A Flight  for  Life 


redeem  the  individual,  or  to  elevate  society.  My 
teacher  would  argue  at  great  length  in  defense  of 
his  religion,  but  would  admit  that  the  disciples  of 
Jesus  are  better  than  those  of  Buddha.  One  day 
he  said;  to  me:  “How  is  it  that  none  of  your  people 
quarrel  or  fight?  I have  lived  here  half  a month, 
and  have  seen  nothing  of  the  kind.  Outside  of 
this  Mission  compound,  whether  in  China  or  Mon- 
golia, so  many  persons  could  not  live  together  with- 
out hatred  and  strife.” 

In  modern  life  it  is  not  found  that  Buddhism  has 
made  any  nation  progressive,  or  virtuous,  or 
happy.  Wherever  it  prevails,  womanhood  and 
childhood  are  not  honored;  education  and  civiliza- 
tion are  in  a most  rudimentary  state ; and  in  the 
temples,  where  the  results  of  the  religion  are  most 
manifest,  the  priests  are  licentious  and  vile.  Poor 
as  is  the  family  life,  one  who  does  not  want  to  see 
vice  enthroned  should  stop  at  tents  rather  than 
at  temples,  when  traveling  in  Mongolia. 

One  boy  in  each  family  is  consecrated  from 
childhood  to  be  a priest.  At  such  an  early  age,  it 
is  a pleasing  distinction  to  wear  a robe  of  bright 
colors  and  a nice,  embroidered  cap,  to  be  called 
“Lama,”  and  to  be  considered  the  most  religious 
member  of  the  family.  Lamas  of  high  rank  are 


The  Religion  of  the  Mongols 


195 


adored.  Those  of  moderate  position  are  rever- 
enced, like  “the  minister”  a century  ago  in  New 
England.  All  the  priests  have  leisure  for  study, 
and  that  which  most  delights  a Mongol’s  heart, 
an  opportunity  to  spend  the  most  of  his  life  in 
idleness.  They  are  well  fed  and  clothed  at  the 
public  expense,  pose  as  gentlemen  of  leisure  and 
piety,  ride  the  best  horses,  and  have  no  cares  as  to 
family  or  money.  With  such  privileges  who  would 
not  be  a lama? 

An  American  gentleman  has  been  heard  to  say : 
“I  wish  that  some  one  would  take  all  the  money 
that  I earn,  and  pay  all  of  my  expenses  and  those 
of  my  family  without  requiring  my  attention  to  the 
details  of  account.”  Such  a person  would  find  this 
sort  of  bliss  at  a Mongolian  monastery,  only  he 
would  have  no  family.  Yet  many  priests  prefer  to 
give  attention  to  money  matters  and  amass  con- 
siderable wealth. 

There  is  a dire  necessity  that  compels  each 
family  to  have  its  own  priest.  All  the  people  keep 
on  sinning,  and  some  one  must  save  them  by  being 
religious  and  saying  many  prayers.  The  lama,  un- 
fortunately, has  a taste  for  mutton,  but  that  is  no 
matter ; his  brother  kills  the  sheep,  and  in  doing  so 
commits  murder ; the  priest  eats  the  meat,  but 


ig6 


A Flight  for  Life 


there  is  no  sin  in  that,  for  the  animal  is  already 
dead ; and  then  the  priest  says  enough  prayers  to 
atone  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  family.  The  other 
members  are  good  by  proxy.  This  certainly  is  a 
convenient  religion. 

At  an  early  age,  from  seven  to  twelve,  the  boy  is 
taken  to  one  of  the  temples.  Here  he  is  going  to 
see  more  of  the  world  than  hitherto.  If  he  cries 
for  his  mother,  he  will  be  told  that  he  is  helping 
her  in  the  best  wav  by  being  there,  and  that  a glori- 
ous career  is  opening  before  him.  He  has  to  do 
the  most  menial  tasks,  and  is  virtually  the  slave  of 
some  older  priest.  To  sit  cross-legged  six  hours 
a day,  droning  out  prayers'  with  the  other  lamas, 
is  a severe  repression  of  his  animal  spirits ; but  he 
gets  used  to  it,  and  has  bright  hopes  of  promotion, 
and  of  having  a great  name  some  day. 

At  last  there  comes  a day  of  awakening.  The 
noblest  aspirations  of  the  heart  never  can  be  real- 
ized. The  lama  cannot  have  a home.  The  boy  once 
pure  of  heart  finds  himself  immersed  in  a sea  of 
vice.  He  has  not  escaped  defilement,  living  with 
such  companions,  with  whom  lust  has  taken  the 
place  of  love,  and  who  seldom  long  refrain  from 
words  and  gestures  of  obscenity.  There  are  nuns 

1 The  prayers  are  in  the  Tibetan  language,  which  scarcely 
any  of  them  can  understand. 


The  Religion  of  the  Mongols  197 

as  well  as  priests,  and  they  are  equally  bad.  There 
are  rooms  in  connection  with  the  temple  into  which 
a casual  visitor  is  not  permitted  to  look.  Some- 
times the  prohibition  comes  too  late.  In  such 
cases,  nothing  good,  nor  even  decent,  is  seen. 

Gilmour  describes  the  temples  as  nests  of  un- 
clean birds,  and  says  that  Urga,  the  religious  capi- 
tal and  headquarters  of  Lamaism,  is  “a  stronghold 
of  unblushing  sin,”  and  the  most  supremely  wicked 
place  in  that  whole  wide  country.” 

Nastegard,  who  had  lived  in  Urga  several  years, 
in  summing  up  the  population  of  the  place,  after 
mentioning  the  ten  thousand  “celibate”  priests, 
said  that  there  were  thousands  of  women  leading 
immoral  lives. 

The  smaller  monasteries  scattered  throughout 
the  country  manifest  the  same  tendencies  to  de- 
pravity. 

On  first  discovering  that  one  is  in  such  a den 
of  iniquity,  the  question  arises,  Will  he  try  to 
escape?  Perhaps  he  has  gradually  become  cal- 
loused in  regard  to  it,  or  is  allured  by  the  pleasures 
of  sin.  If  he  should  expose  the  evils  of  the  temple 
community,  or  openly  abandon  the  priesthood,  it 
would  endanger  his  life.  There  are  many  lamas 
who,  after  finishing  their  apprenticeship,  return  to 


198 


A Flight  for  Life 


live  in  the  home  of  a brother,  and  help  him  in  car- 
ing for  the  flocks  and  herds.  Yet  we  cannot  re- 
spect all  such  men  alike,  for  the  unruly  and  the 
stupid,  as  well  as  the  virtuous,  find  it  impossible 
to  remain  in  the  temple. 

A few  of  the  lamas  marry,  although  it  is  for- 
bidden by  the  rule  of  their  order.  Such  persons 
cultivate  the  better  feelings  of  humanity,  and  re- 
semble the  layman  in  their  gravity,  good  judg- 
ment, and  comparatively  upright  lives.  The  posses- 
sion of  a home,  and  the  care  of  a family,  make 
men  better  in  Mongolia,  as  elsewhere,  but  unfortu- 
nately the  people  regard  celibacy  as  more  honora- 
ble than  marriage. 

In  a temple  may  be  seen  images  large  and  small, 
shelves  loaded  with  little  bronze  Buddhas,  and 
banners  with  embroidered  gods  without  number ; 
also  trumpets  and  drums,  the  costly  gowns  and 
fantastic  caps  of  the  priests,  and  the  Tibetan  scrip- 
tures covering  all  the  sides  of  a small  room.  A 
little  lamp,  fed  with  butter,  is  always  lighted. 
There  are  thrones  for  the  chief  priests,  and  long, 
cushioned  benches  for  the  lesser  ones,  extending 
all  the  way  to  the  door. 

When  prayers  are  to  be  offered,  the  lamas  take 
their  places,  sitting  so  as  to  face  the  central  aisle. 


The  Religion  of  the  Mongols  199 

The  older  lamas  read  from  Tibetan  books,1  in  low 
sepulchral  tones,  and  the  small  boys  near  the  door 
try  to  imitate  them.  Trumpets  are  blown,  cym- 
bals clang,  and  the  temple  resounds  with  some- 
thing like  the  Chinese  singsong  prayers,  “O-me-to- 
foa,”  “O-me-to-foa,”  which  means  ‘‘Living  Buddha, 
Living  Buddha.”  To  repeat  this  many  times  con- 
stitutes a prayer.  The  prayer  is  not  supposed  to  be 
heart-worship,  and  is  just  as  effectual  if  one  does 
not  understand  the  words,  for  the  benefit  to  be  de- 
rived depends  on  struggling  through  as  much  of 
the  prayer-book  as  possible.  Quantity,  not  quality, 
is  the  measure  of  successful  prayer.  The  merit 
obtained  is  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  pages 
that  are  read. 

At  New  Year’s  and  in  the  spring,  prayers  are 
said  for  “good  luck,”  that  is,  for  a prosperous 
year;  in  the  summer  for  rain,— as  that  is  the  rainy 
season ; and  thanks  are  offered  to  the  gods  in  the 
autumn,  for  all  the  blessings  of  the  year.  These 
include  good  grass,  fat  cattle,  plenty  to  eat,  and 
something  to  devote  to  wine  and  gambling. 

There  are  flags  on  the  tents  and  houses,  or  on 
the  hilltops,  which  pray  as  they  flutter  in  the 
breeze.  Wind-mills,  water-wheels,  and  little 

'They  read  from  left  to  right,  and  lay  aside  each  leaf 
when  finished. 


200 


A Flight  for  Life 


machines  to  be  turned  in  the  hand,  all  are  used 
as  means  of  praying.  The  religion  is  not  spiritual, 
but  mechanical.  Prayer  is  measured  by  the  mile, 
or  by  the  cubic  foot,  and  can  be  done  by  machinery. 
If  you  hire  a man  to  pray  by  the  day  or  month,  the 
virtue  is  yours,  not  his. 

Prayer  is  not  addressed  to  a divine  person,  but 
to  all  the  gods  in  the  universe.  If  long-continued, 
it  becomes  a penance.  One  of  the  tortures  of  hell 
is  compulsory  prayer,  to  “make  up”  the  prayers 
that  were  left  unsaid  in  this  life.  The  soul  is 
driven  to  it  by  an  imp  armed  with  a whip. 

Prayer,  which  should  voice  a yearning  for  right- 
eousness and  mercy,  has  become  a dead  form.  The 
lips  are  always  moving,  and  the  fingers  counting 
beads,  but  there  is  no  lifting  of  the  heart  toward  a 
heavenly  Father,  and  therefore  no  consolation  and 
no  hope. 

At  the  temples  there  are  large  cylindrical  prayer- 
wheels,  several  feet  high,  each  holding  some 
bushels  of  prayers.  They  are  filled  to  the  top  with 
strips  of  paper  covered  with  Tibetan  writing.  The 
wheel  is  balanced  on  a pivot,  and  provided  with 
handles  for  convenience  in  turning.  If  you  walk 
around  it  once,  pulling  or  pushing  it  as  the  hands 
of  a watch  move,  you  will  have  prayed  all  of  the 


The  Religion  of  the  Mongols 


201 


prayers  that  it  contains.  One  who  turns  it  several 
hours  has  the  benefit  of  praying  by  wholesale. 
Once  I tried  turning  it  in  the  opposite  direction, 
but  the  Mongols  interfered,  protesting  that  if  I 
should  do  so  1 would  unpray  all  those  prayers. 

The  spirits  of  the  high  places  must  be  appeased. 
At  stated  times  the  priests  assemble  on  the  moun- 
tains. Three  poles  planted  on  different  sides  of  the 
altar  are  connected  by  a string  enclosing  a tri- 
angular space.  Paper  streamers  of  bright  colors 
are  fastened  to  the  string,  and  make  a pretty  sight, 
as  they  flutter  in  the  breeze.  They  are  not  put  there 
for  ornament,  but  to  have  them  do  a great  deal  of 
praying.  The  lamas  read  their  prayer-books  to  the 
sound  of  trumpets  and  cymbals,  and  sprinkle  holy 
water  and  ring  bells,  as  they  do  in  the  temples. 
Boiled  legs  of  mutton  and  cakes  of  cheese  are 
placed  on  the  altar,  and  libations  of  wine  are 
poured,  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  the  tutelary 
ghost.  When  the  ceremony  is  finished  the  men 
take  the  meat  away  and  feast  on  it,  while  the  dogs 
climb  up  the  hill  to  eat  the  cheese.  Instead  of 
feeding  the  spirits  of  the  high  place,  the  priests  have 
fed  themselves  and  the  dogs. 

They  think  that  our  Bible  is  unimportant  because 
it  can  be  contained  in  so  small  a volume.  Here 


202 


A Flight  for  Life 


again  quantity  is  to  them  the  sign  of  value.  Their 
own  scriptures  are  printed  on  pages  one  foot  wide 
and  three  feet  long,  the  leaves  not  being  bound 
together  but  laid  on  each  other,  forming  piles  about 
a foot  high.  Above  and  below  are  boards  of  the 
same  size,  and  the  whole  is  wrapped  around  with 
yellow  silk.  Each  temple1  has  a complete  set  of 
these  scriptures,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and 
eight  bundles,  and  costing  from  seven  hundred  to 
fifteen  hundred  dollars.2  One  copy  of  these  books 
would  make  several  cartloads.  These  are  the  books 
which  the  people  carry  around  the  temples  as  a 
work  of  merit.  Four  of  the  large  packages  in  each 
set  are  said  to  be  the  “Jesus  Scriptures.”  As  they 
have  not  been  translated,3  it  is  impossible  to  state 
whether  they  are  our  whole  Bible,  or  the  four 
Gospels,  or  the  writings  of  Nestorian  missionaries. 
I have  been  told  by  a Mongol,  that  if  we  should 
get  a copy  of  these  books  and  make  them  the  basis 
of  missionary  teaching,  the  people  would  readily 
believe  the  gospel,  because  they  already  have  un- 


‘ That  is,  each  temple  except  those  that  are  very  poor. 

2 They  cost  the  larger  price  when  bought  from  the  Chi- 
nese government,  but  are  much  cheaper  if  bought  from 
bookstores  in  Peking. 

3 An  endeavor  was  being  made  in  1899  to  have  them 
translated  and  published  in  London, — but  with  what  suc- 
cess I have  not  learned. 


The  Religion  of  the  Mongols 


20  3 


questioning  faith  in  these  books.  Buddhism 
having  adopted  Jesus  and  the  Virgin  Mary  into  its 
pantheon,  it  would  not  be  strange  if  its  scriptures 
should  be  found  to  contain  something  of  ours. 


CHAPTER  XX 


THE  MONGOLIAN  LANGUAGE 

With  one  teacher  and  from  one  lesson-book  the 
sons  of  Mongol  officials  try  to  learn  three  lan- 
guages at  once,  namely,  their  own,  the  Manchu  and 
the  Chinese. 

Though  these  languages  are  distantly  related, 
their  difference  may  be  illustrated  by  one  word, 
meaning  a tent : in  Mongolian,  it  is  gerc;  in  Man- 
chu, bao  (bough) ; and  in  Chinese,  chang-fang. 

These  languages,  with  Corean,  Japanese,  Turko- 
Tartar,  Finn,  Samoyed,  and  some  North  American 
Indian  tongues,  are  called  the  Turanian  or  agglu- 
tinated languages,  whose  chief  peculiarity  is  that, 
with  some  exceptions,  each  syllable  consists  of  a 
single  consonant  followed  by  a single  vowel.  The 
syllable  seems  to  be  glued  together,  like  those  of 
compound  words  in  English,  except  that  the  com- 
ponent parts  are  simpler.  Little  children  can  speak 
them  easily;  as,  papa,  mamma,  Minnehaha,  Yoko- 
hama, gere  (tent),  nara  (the  sun),  and  mori  (a 
horse). 


204 


The  Mongolian  Language 


205 


In  turning  from  the  study  of  Chinese  to  that  of 
Mongolian,  the  chief  contrasts  are : that  one 
has  no  longer  to  memorize  complicated  hiero- 
glyphics, but  to  acquire  an  alphabetical  language, 
in  which  each  word  can  be  spelled ; that  the 
meaning  of  a word  does  not  depend  on  the  tone 
in  which  it  is  spoken;  and,  that  Mongolian  is 
more  diffuse  than  Chinese.  Further,  while  the 
written  language  in  China  is  more  concise  than  the 
spoken,  the  opposite  is  true  of  Mongolian.  The 
latter  has  many  more  closed  syllables1  than  the 
former. 

Foreigners  find  Mongolian  much  easier  to  learn 
than  Chinese,  but  there  are  few  books  to  aid  one 
in  the  study.  The  only  grammar  is  in  German,  and 
the  only  dictionaries  render  Mongolian  words  in(o 
German  and  Russian  or  French  and  Russian." 

1 That  is,  syllables  ending  with  a consonant.  The  Chi- 
nese closed  syllables  end  only  in  n and  ng  in  the  north,  to 
which  are  added  k,  p and  t,  in  the  south.  Mongolian  syl- 
lables may  close  with  any  of  the  twelve  consonants.  The 
language  is  difficult  for  the  Chinese  to  speak,  especially  the 
r,  which  must  be  trilled.  In  Pekinese  only  420  syllables 
are  spoken ; in  Kalganese  only  324 ; but  over  a thousand 
are  used  in  Mongolian.  This  makes  it  easy  for  the  Mon- 
gols to  pronounce  the  words  of  foreign  languages. 

2 The  grammar  and  German  dictionary  were  compiled  by 
T.  J.  Schmidt.  The  former  was  translated  into  English  by 
Rev.  H.  D.  Porter,  M.  D.,  in  1875,  but  unfortunately  was 
not  published.  The  dictionary  was  translated  into  English 
and  Swedish  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  F.  A.  Larson  in  1899.  Both 
works  were  destroyed  by  the  Boxers. 


206 


A Flight  for  Life 


The  Mongols  regard  syllables  as  units,  and  spell 
a word  by  pronouncing  its  syllables,  not  its  letters. 
Foreigners  distinguish  seventeen  consonants1  and 
seven  vowels.’ 

The  language  was  reduced  to  writing  in  the 
thirteenth  century.  The  letters  were  modified  from 
Uigurian,  which  was  formed  after  Syriac.  The 
letters  still  resemble  the  latter,  and  are  also  said  to 
appear  like  a knotted  cord.  As  in  Syriac  and 
Hebrew,  without  the  Massoretic  dots,  the  only 
vowels  written  are  ( ' yodli  and  1 van)  i and  o or  u, 
so  it  is  in  Mongolian.  The  other  vowels  must  be 
guessed  by  the  aid  of  the  context.  Thus  nara 
(the  sun)  and  nere  (a  name)  are  written  exactly 
alike. 

Schmidt,  following  the  Mongols,  gives  seven 
vowels,  viz.  a,  e,  i,  6,  6,  ii,  u.  In  fact,  however,  there 
are  ten  vowel  sounds,  corresponding  to  five  written 
forms,— except  that  some  of  these  letters  can  hardly 
be  discerned,  unless  by  a skilful  exercise  of  the 
imagination.  The  sounds  are  five  long  and  five 

1 The  consonants,  in  their  Mongolian  order,  are : n,  b,  kh, 
gh,  k.  g,  m,  1,  r (never  initial),  t,  d.  y,  s (ds),  ts,  s.  sh,  w. 

2 The  long  vowel  sounds  are : a,  as  in  ah ; e,  as  in  herd  ; 
i,  as  in  machine;  o,  as  in  no;  and  u,  as  in  rude.  The  short 
vowel  sounds  are:  a,  as  in  cat;  e.  as  in  met;  i,  as  in  pin; 
o,  as  in  not . These  are  as  pronounced  by  the  Jahara 
(Chakhar)  tribe.  The  last-named  vowel  is  called  the 
sixth,  and  is  pronounced  differently  by  the  other  tribes. 


The  Mongolian  Language 


207 


short,  nearly  the  same  as  those  iti  English.  There 
are  also  eight  diphthongs.  The  forms  of  the  con- 
sonants differ,  according  to  whether  they  are  at  the 
beginning,  middle  or  end  of  a word.  The  vowels 
in  each  word  must  harmonize  with  each  other  in 
sound,  in  one  of  two  classes ; viz.,  a,  i and  o ; or 
e,  i and  u.  A word  that  contains  a or  o cannot 
have  e or  u,  and  vice  versa. 

Consonant  sounds  are  the  ones  most  heard.  The 
words  are  spoken  loudly  and  boldly,  because  the 
people  live  so  much  out-of-doors.  A Mongol, 
telling  an  exciting  story,  seems  to  forget  to  speak 
the  vowels,  and  his  long  sentences  consist  almost 
exclusively  of  consonants.  This  harmonizes  with 
the  comparative  lack  of  vowels  in  writing. 

The  writing  is  vertical,  like  the  Chinese,  and  to 
be  read  down  the  column ; but,  unlike  the  Chi- 
nese, the  second  line  to  be  read  is  the  one  at  the 
right  of  the  first.  The  leaves  of  a book  are  turned 
as  in  English. 

Another  difficulty  in  reading  in  Mongolian  is, 
that  d and  t,  g and  h or  k,1  and  also  ch  and  j, 
are  interchangeable ; that  is,  what  is  written  t may 
have  to  be  pronounced  d,  etc. ; as  in  the  word 
todora  (in),  which  must  be  read  dotora.  Further, 

1 K or  kh  in  the  north  is  pronounced  h in  the  south. 


208 


A Flight  for  Life 


b and  p,  j and  y,  are  written  almost  exactly  alike. 
One  has  to  learn  two  languages  at  the  same 
time,  for  the  written  and  spoken  Mongolian  differ 
not  only  in  the  number  of  syllables  in  a word,  but 
also  in  the  construction  of  sentences.  Hang  (a 
king)  is  written  hagang;  hu  (a  son)  is  written 
hubegung;  but  the  chief  difference  is  the  con- 
struction. 

Xo  Mongol  teacher  is  willing  to  invent  a new 
method  by  writing  words  as  they  are  spoken. 
Gilmour  has  illustrated  this  at  length,  telling 
of  his  attempts  to  induce  a man  to  write  in  that 
way.  The  Kalmuk  tribe  alone  write  the  words  as 
they  are  spoken.  Therefore  their  dialect  is  called 
“the  Key  to  Mongolian.”  With  this  exception 
there  is  universal  opposition  to  the  much  needed 
spelling  reform. 

The  dialects  of  this  language  are  much  more 
alike  than  those  of  Chinese.  Persons  from  distant 
parts  of  the  country  scarcely  ever  have  any  diffi- 
culty in  understanding  each  other. 

The  various  parts  of  speech  display  some  in- 
teresting peculiarities. 

Postpositions  take  the  place  of  prepositions,  fol- 
lowing the  nouns  which  they  govern,  instead  of 
preceding  them. 


The  Mongolian  Language 


209 


In  the  grammar,  nouns  and  pronouns  are  said 
to  have  ten  cases,  their  use  with  each  postposition 
making  a separate  case,  though  the  form  of  the 
noun  is  not  altered.  The  true  number  of  cases 
should  be  determined  by  the  number  of  forms 
which  the  noun  assumes,  and  is  three,  nominative, 
possessive  and  objective,  as  in  English.  Gender 
is  not  indicated.  The  plural  endings  are : nara, 
nere,  od,  s and  d.  The  plural  meaning  is  also 
denoted  by  the  words  all  and  many. 

The  pronouns  are  most  interesting,  because  of 
their  similarity  to  those  in  Indo-European  lan- 
guages. M is  the  root  sound  in  the  first  person, 
as  in  my,  mine,  me ; while  t in  the  second  person 
is  like  th  in  thou,  thy,  thine  and  thee.  I is  bi; 
my  is  monai  or  mini ; me  is  namaigi ; thou  or  you 
is  ta ; thy  or  your  is  tanai  or  tini ; thee  or  you  is 
tanigi.  The  demonstrative  pronoun  that,  tere,  is 
used  for  the  personal  pronoun  of  the  third  person. 
The  relative  pronoun  is  lacking,  and  its  place  is 
supplied  by  circumlocution. 

The  adjectives  are  not  inflected. 

The  verbs  have  only  one  conjugation,  which  is 
regular  and  simple.  There  are  many  forms  for  tense 
and  mood,  but  few  for  person  and  number.  The 
imperative  is  the  root  of  the  verb ; as,  id  (pro- 


210 


A Flight  for  Life 


nounced  eat),  which  means,  Please  eat.  To  eat,  is 
idehu;  I eat,  ideye;  I am  eating,  ideji  baina;  I have 
eaten,  idele ; I ate,  ideseng.  The  other  forms,  pas- 
sive as  well  as  active,  are  made  with  their  various 
endings. 

The  adverbs  are  simple  particles,  affirmative, 
negative,  modal,  interrogative,  etc.,  or  are  formed 
by  suffixes  from  other  parts  of  speech. 

There  are  few  conjunctions.  The  relations  of 
clauses  are  shown  by  verbal  forms,  mostly  by  parti- 
ciples and  the  gerund.  In  speaking,  the  conjunc- 
tions are  almost  wholly  dispensed  with ; and  no 
wonder,  seeing  that  they  are  so  long  and  awkward ; 
for  instance,  the  little  word  for,  meaning  because, 
is  written  iti  eleven  syllables,  thus : tere  yagono 
tola  hemebesu. 

The  verb  is  placed  at  the  end  of  the  sentence. 
The  order  of  words  is  as  follows:  indications 
of  time  or  place  (by  adverb  or  substantive  with 
postposition),  the  object  and  other  cases  depending 
on  the  verb,  and  last  of  all  the  verb,  preceded  by 
adverbs  that  qualify  it. 

In  a sentence  or  paragraph,  the  causal,  hypo- 
thetical and  concessive  clauses  come  first,  and  the 
finite  verb  appears  only  at  the  end  of  the  main 
predication.  The  periods  are  longer  than  in  other 


The  Mongolian  Language  211 

languages,  one  of  them  sometimes  filling  several 
pages. 

Oriental  peoples  excel  Occidentals  in  their  clear 
idea  of  the  points  of  compass.  This  may  have  re- 
sulted from  the  drier  atmosphere,  enabling  them 
to  see  the  sun  and  stars  more  constantly,  or  from 
the  high  value  put  upon  ceremony,  in  which  posi- 
tion plays  a prominent  part.  You  tell  a blind  man 
in  the  streets  of  Peking,  “Go  north !”  and  he  in- 
stantly avoids  danger,  never  hesitating  to  inquire 
which  way  is  the  north.  Similarly,  the  Mongol 
always  imagines  himself  looking  out  of  his  tent 
door,  to  the  south  or  southeast ; and  therefore  the 
word  for  right  is  west,  and  that  for  left  is  east. 
The  Mongol  speaks  of  his  west  hand,  and  of  his 
east  ear,  or  foot. 

A special  class  of  words  is  used  for  everything 
that  is  divine.  These  at  first  had  reference  to  the 
Buddhas,  but  have  formed  a certain  style  of  speech. 
In  the  New  Testament  we  read  that  Jesus  stretched 
forth  his  divine  hand,  and  touched  the  leper ; and 
that  they  platted  a crown  of  thorns,  and  put  it 
upon  his  divine  head.1 

In  addressing  an  official,  common  words  are  not 

1 Head  is  tologai,  divine  head  is  terigung.  Hand  is  gara, 
divine  hand  is  modora.  Foot  is  hul,  divine  foot  is  ulemi. 


212 


A Flight  for  Life 


used;  one  must  speak  in  an  honorific  diction,  or 
special  phraseology.  For  instance,  the  morning 
salutation,  Sai  honabo?  (Did  you  sleep  well?)  will 
not  do  in  speaking  to  a magistrate ; one  must  say : 
Sai  noiresebo? 

The  Turks  being  a branch  of  the  Tartar  race, 
we  find  the  root  of  the  word  salaam  in  Mongolian, 
with  the  same  meaning.  Thus  we  are  told,  in  the 
Mongolian  New  Testament,  that  James  and  John 
made  a profound  bow  to  their  father,  as  a cere- 
monious farewell,  and  then  follow  Jesus. 

The  Buddhist  books  brought  into  Mongolian 
many  Sanskrit  and  Tibetan  words.  The  language 
uses  foreign  words  with  the  utmost  freedom,  add- 
ing the  Mongolian  endings.  To  interpret,  is  to 
“Mongolize.”  Some  words  are  taken  from  Chinese  ; 
as,  pensa,  a dish ; loasa,  a mule.-  Others  originally 
were  common  to  both  languages ; as,  modong, 
(Chinese  mu-t’ou)  wood,  or  a tree. 

Words  denoting  repentance  and  forgiveness  are 
long  and  awkward,  showing  that  these  ideas  are 
not  indigenous  to  the  Mongol  mind. 

Important  books  are  printed  from  wooden 
blocks.  All  the  words  to  be  printed  must  be  sepa- 
rately carved  on  the  boards,  as  there  are  no  mova- 
ble types.  The  engraver  selects  pieces  of  the  finest 


The  Mongolian  Language 


213 


grained  willow,  trims  and  planes  them  himself, 
writes  the  words  backhanded  of  course,  and  carves 
them  with  little  knives  of  his  own  manufacture. 
If  working  by  the  job,  he  charges  only  half  a cent 
per  word,  though  some  words  have  six  or  eight 
syllables.  If  desired,  he  will  carve  pictures  of 
Buddha,  to  be  printed  and  worshiped.  The 
block,  having  been  prepared,  is  placed  on  the 
table;  ink1  is  applied  with  a brush;  the  paper  is 
laid  on  the  block  and  the  hand  is  wiped  over  it, 
sometimes  moving  the  paper  and  blurring  the 
print,  and  always  applying  the  pressure  unevenly. 

Books,  whether  copied  by  hand  or  printed  in 
this  way,  are  few  % and  costly.  The  Mongolian 
literature  is  mostly  religious,  consisting  of  the 
lives  of  saints,  poems,  historical  sketches  of  Mon- 
gol warriors,  and  a few  novels. 


1 The  ordinary  Chinese  writing  ink  is  used.  It  has  no 
such  odor  as  the  oily  ink  used  in  foreign  printing,  which 
is  offensive  to  the  Mongols  and  Chinese,  and  excites  their 
fears  of  poison  or  witchcraft.  If  offered  a book  printed  at 
a foreign  press,  the  native  smells  of  it,  and  says  that  he 
does  not  want  it. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


THE  RISE  OF  THE  MONGOL  EMPIRE 

A nomadic  people,  in  a savage  or  barbarous  con- 
dition, whose  chief  industry  is  the  tending  of  flocks 
and  herds,  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  a history. 

Once,  however,  the  Mongols  raised  an  immense 
army,  and  founded  one  of  the  most  extensive  em- 
pires that 'ever  existed,  embracing  almost  all  of 
Asia  and  a large  portion  of  Europe.  An  out- 
burst of  valor  and  savagery  won  for  them  a place 
in  the  history  of  the  world. 

The  earliest  mention  of  them  relates  that,  in 
a.d.  619-690,  they  were  living  by  the  Kerulon, 
Argun  and  Onon1  Rivers,  in  the  northeast  part  of 
Mongolia.  They  were  a branch  of  the  Tungus  peo- 
ples, who  from  early  times  inhabited  the  Yenesei 
and  Amur  valleys. 

One  of  their  leaders  was  Budantsar,  a semi- 
mythical  person,  whose  descendant  in  the  eighth 
generation  was  Yesukai,  the  father  of  Genghis 
Khan.2 

1 Or  Nonni.  2 Khan  is  the  Mongolian  word  for  king. 

214 


The  Rise  of  the  Mongol  Empire 


215 


Genghis  was  born  in  the  year  1162  near  the 
river  Onon.  His  name  in  childhood  was  Temuchin. 
When  he  was  only  thirty  years  of  age,  his  father 
died,  and  the  tribes  which  had  been  united  by  his 
valor  dispersed.  Tennichin’s  mother,  Yulun,  led 
troops  against  them,  and  brought  back  at  least 
one  half. 

In  1206,  a great  assembly  by  the  Onon  pro- 
claimed Temuchin  as  their  king,  under  the  title  of 
Genghis  Khan. 

He  first  defeated  the  Naimans,  who  were  for- 
merly ruled  by  his  father.  They  fled  far  away  to 
the  west,  to  the  Irtish  River.1  Then  he  invaded  the 
Hsia  kingdom,  in  the  northwest  part  of  China. 
In  1208  he  conquered  the  Naimans  and  Merkits,1 
in  their  new  abode  at  the  Irtish.  Returning,  he 
defeated  the  Kins,  and  took  possession  of  Liao- 
tung, which  is  the  southern  part  of  Manchuria. 

In  1213  he  sent  three  armies  to  overrun  China, 
each  of  which  was  successful.  One  of  them  reached 
Honan,  and  captured  twenty-eight  cities.  Another, 
led  by  Genghis,  ravaged  Shantung,  until  stopped  by 
the  sea  at  the  promontory.  All  of  China  north  of 
the  Yellow  River,  except  Peking,  submitted  to  him. 

1 This  river  rises  in  western  Mongolia,  flows  past  Omsk 
and  Tobolsk  in  Siberia,  and  empties  into  the  Obi  river. 

2 These  are  names  of  Mongol  tribes. 


2l6 


A Flight  for  Life 


For  that  city  the  Kin  emperor  gave  a large  ran- 
som, and  obtained  a temporary  peace ; but,  fearing 
another  incursion  of  the  Mongols,  he  fled  to  K’ai- 
feng  Fu,  south  of  the  Yellow  River.  Genghis 
regarded  this  action  as  a revolt,  and  pursued  him. 

A Naiman  named  Kushlek,  who  had  taken 
refuge  among  the  Kitans,  abused  the  hospitality 
given  him,  and  supplanted  their  king.  Genghis 
defeated  him  in  one  battle,  and  took  the  kingdom. 

At  that  time  the  conqueror  seems  to  have 
thought  that  his  realm  was  large  enough ; but  an 
unexpected  event  opened  the  way  for  the  invasion 
of  Europe. 

There  was  a kingdom  in  Turkestan  called  Khu- 
arezm.  Its  king  was  Muhammed.  Genghis  sent 
him  a friendly  message  regarding  the  regulations 
of  trade.  Afterward  Inaljuk,  governor  of  Otrar, 
in  that  country,  killed  some  Mongol  merchants 
as  spies.  Genghis  demanded  the  extradition  of 
the  governor,  but  Muhammed  beheaded  the  chief 
envoy,  and  sent  the  others  back  bereft  of  their 
beards. 

In  the  spring  of  1219,  Genghis  led  his  army  from 
Karakorum.1  The  first  column  defeated  Muham- 

’Tliis  city,  on  the  hanks  of  the  Orkhon  River,  had  been 
founded  in  the  eighth  century  by  Buku,  khan  of  the  Uigur 


The  Rise  of  the  Mongol  Empire 


217 


med,  who  is  said  to  have  left  160,000  dead  on  the 
field.  He  fled  to  Samarcand.  The  second  column 
besieged  Otrar  five  months,  took  it,  slew  Inaljuk, 
pillaged  the  city,  and  leveled  its  walls.  The  third 
and  fourth  columns  were  equally  successful.  Bok- 
hara, Samarcand  and  other  cities  were  taken,  and 
the  inhabitants  massacred. 

Muhammed  fled  to  Nishnapoor,  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  Persia.  An  army  of  70,000  Mon- 
gols captured  the  city,  and  slew  all  of  the  people 
except  four  hundred  artisans,  who  were  sent  to 
Mongolia. 

Muhammed  died  by  the  Caspian.  His  son 
Jalaluddin  was  pursued  by  Genghis,  and  defeated 
on  the  banks  of  the  Indus.  He  fled  to  Delhi.  The 
Mongols  sought  for  him  in  vain,  but  ravaged  the 
northwestern  portion  of  India. 

Herat  had  welcomed  the  Mongols,  and  had  been 
spared.  Most  foolishly,  they  revolted.  As  a re- 
sult, an  army  besieged  the  city  six  months,  over- 
came it,  and  killed  and  burned  for  a week.  It  is 
said  that  1,600,000  persons  perished. 

In  1222  a horde  of  Mongols  defeated  the  Circas- 
sians, captured  Astrakhan,  and  pursued  their 

Mongols.  Under  Ogdai,  1227-1256,  it  was  the  capital  of 
the  empire.  Its  ruins  can  still  be  seen. 


218 


A Flight  for  Life 


Mongol  Tents 

Dr.  Anient  and  Mr.  Roberts  in  foreground 


The  Rise  of  the  Mongol  Empire  219 

enemies  to  the  Don.  The  Russians  assembled 
an  army  at  Kiev,  and  killed  the  Mongol  envoys, 
but  were  routed  in  battle.  The  victors  ravaged 
Great  Bulgaria,  and  returned  home  with  their 
booty. 

From  Central  Asia,  Genghis  went  to  fight  in 
China.  The  five  planets  were  in  conjunction,  which 
was  regarded  as  a bad  omen.  Being  sick,  he  left 
Kansuh,  and  soon  after  died  by  the  river  Sale  in 
Mongolia,  A.  d.  1227. 

In  order  to  keep  his  death  from  being  known, 
the  guard  escorting  his  body  slew  all  whom  they 
met,  till  they  reached  Kerulon  in  the  north. 

One  effect  of  the  wars  of  Genghis  had  been  that 
the  Osmanli  Turks  were  driven  from  northern  Asia, 
and  invaded  first  Bithynia,  and  then  Europe. 

His  will  appointed  Oghotai,  or  Ogdai,  as  his 
successor.  He  knelt  three  times  to  the  sun,  took 
oaths  from  his  princes,  and  gave  them  rich  pres- 
ents. Then  he  sacrificed  forty  maidens  and  many 
horses  to  his  father’s  spirit. 

His  first  campaign  was  against  the  Kins  in 
China,  and  was  successful.  Then  he  sent  an  army 
of  300,000  men  to  subdue  an  uprising  in  Khuarezm. 

In  1235,  Ogdai  overran  Mesopotamia.  The  peo- 
ple were  so  terrified  that  single  Mongols  are  said 


220 


A Flight  for  Life 


to  have  slain  entire  villages  without  opposition. 
The  same  year  he  sent  one  army  against  Corea, 
another  against  China,  and  a third  into  Europe. 
The  Mongols  were  able  to  go  such  great  distances, 
because  they  were  all  mounted,  were  inured  to 
hardships,  and  carried  no  heavy  baggage,  but  took 
what  they  needed  from  the  various  countries. 

Riazan,  in  Russia,  was  taken  in  1237.  “The 
prince,  with  his  mother,  wife,  sons,  the  boyars 
(nobles),  and  the  inhabitants,  without  regard  to 
age  or  sex,  were  slaughtered  with  savage  cruelty. 
Some  were  impaled,  some  shot  at  with  arrows  for 
sport,  others  were  flayed,  or  had  splinters  of  wood 
driven  under  the  nails  of  their  fingers  and  toes. 
Priests  were  roasted  alive,  and  nuns  and  maidens 
ravished  in  the  churches.” 

Next  they  took  Moscow,  which  was  then  a small 
place,  and  other  cities  of  Russia,  in  which  horrors 
were  enacted.  Kiev,  “the  mother  of  cities,”  was 
destroyed,  and  the  people  massacred. 

Hungary  and  Poland  then  were  devastated.  By 
a night  attack  at  Pesth,  the  Mongols  won  a great 
victory.  The  roads  for  two  days’  journey  in  every 
direction  were  strewn  with  corpses.  In  Poland, 
on  the  approach  of  the  savages,  the  inhabitants  of 
Cracow  burned  their  city  and  fled.  The  army  of 


The  Rise  of  the  Mongol  Empire 


221 


Duke  Henry  II  of  Silesia  was  defeated  with  terri- 
ble slaughter.  The  Mongols  were  accustomed  to 
cut  one  ear  from  each  of  the  enemy  slain,  and  on 
this  occasion  carried  away  nine  sacks  of  ears.  They 
pushed  on  into  Bavaria,  but  received  news  of 
Ogdai’s  death,  and  a summons  to  return  to  their 
own  land.  Their  khan  had  given  himself  up  to 
drink,  ease  and  licentiousness,  and  died  Dec.  n, 
1241. 

The  next  khan  was  Kuyuk.  His  doctors  and 
two  ministers  in  charge  of  affairs  were  Christians. 
A chapel 'stood  in  front  of  his  tent.  The  Nesto- 
rian  missionaries  were  in  favor.  To  a letter  from 
Pope  Innocent,  seeking  terms  of  peace,  he  sent 
a haughty  answer,  bidding  him  to  come  quickly 
and  pay  tribute,  and  saying  that  the  Mongols  were 
about  to  “overwhelm  the  whole  earth  from  the 
east  to  the  west.  Expeditions  were  made  against 
Asia  Minor,  Syria,  Corea  and  China.  Kuyuk  died 
after  a reign  of  seven  years.  He  was  followed  by 
Kaidu  and  Chapai,  grandsons  of  Ogdai,  each  of 
whom  ruled  only  for  a short  time.  There  was  war 
between  the  house  of  Ogdai  and  that  of  his  brother 
Jagatai. 

Mangu,  a nephew  of  Ogdai,  became  khakan1  in 
1 This  is  a longer  form  of  the  word  khan,  and  was  used 


222 


A Flight  for  Life 


1251.  He  was  impartial  to  Christians,  Mohamme- 
dans and  Buddhists,  but  Shamanism  was  the  state 
religion.  He  was  visited  in  1253  by  a priest  named 
Rubruquis,  who  has  left  an  account  of  the  palace 
and  its  grandeur.  He  was  sent  on  this  mission  by 
King  Louis  XI  of  France.  Mangu  asked  him  how 
many  “rams,  horses  and  oxen  the  French  king 
owned,”  and  said  that  he  should  soon  make  war 
upon  him. 

Mangu  sent  his  brother  Hulagu  to  put  down  an 
insurrection  in  Persia.  To  obtain  favor,  Rokn  Al- 
din  dismantled  fifty  of  the  principal  fortresses  of 
Kohistan,  after  which  the  Mongols  exterminated 
the  people. 

Hulagu  then  marched  over  snowy  mountains  to 
Baghdad,  besieged  it,  and  sacked  it  seven  days, 
killing,  it  is  said,  800,000  people.  The  caliph,  who 
was  the  spiritual  head  of  Islam,  took  away  one  hun- 
dred of  his  seven  hundred  wives,  but  soon  after 
died.  Some  accounts  narrate  that  he  was  starved, 
and  others  that  he  was  put  in  a sack  and  trodden 
to  death  by  horses. 

Having  committed  these  dreadful  acts,  Hulagu 
showed  an  interest  in  science  by  building  an  as- 

to  denote  the  Mongol  emperor,  when  the  empire  was  de- 
veloped to  its  greatest  extent. 


The  Rise  of  the  Mongol  Empire 


223 


tronomical  observatory  at  JYlaragha,  in  Mesopota- 
mia. Both  there  and  in  Syria  the  invasion  caused 
famine.  The  Mongols  stormed  Aleppo,  and 
Damascus  surrendered  to  them. 

On  hearing  of  Mangu’s  death,  Hulagu  went  to 
Mongolia,  leaving  one  of  his  officers  as  commander 
in  his  place.  In  the  division  of  the  kingdom, 
Hulagu  retained  the  regions  which  he  had  con- 
quered, and  they  were  known  as  the  Empire  of  the 
Ilkhans. 

Mangu  and  Kublai  had  led  their  armies  into 
Tongking  and  Tibet.  Kublai  issued  a humane 
order,  forbidding  indiscriminate  massacre.  Mangu 
died  in  Ssu-ch’uan,  a.d.  1259,  after  a sickness  of  a 
few  days.  His  body  was  taken  into  Mongolia  on 
the  backs  of  two  asses,  and  all  who  were  met  on  the 
way  were  killed,  numbering  20,000,  according  to 
Marco  Polo. 

In  fifty-three  years  the  Mongols,  who  before  had 
occupied  an  insignificant  strip  of  territory,  had 
acquired  an  empire  stretching  from  the  Pacific 
ocean  to  Poland  and  Hungary,  and  from  the  Indian 
Ocean  to  the  frozen  zone.  Only  the  north  of  Rus- 
sia and  the  southern  parts  of  India  and  China 
had  escaped  their  fury.  China  soon  after  suc- 
cumbed. But  the  Mongol  work  was  destructive. 


224 


A Flight  for  Life 


With  the  exception  of  Kublai  Khan,  they  had 
no  constructive  ability,  and  established  nothing 
to  take  the  place  of  that  which  they  overthrew. 
They  ruled  for  themselves — not  for  the  good  of 
the  governed, — and  their  empire  was  not  destined 
to  endure. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

KUBLAI  KHAN  AND  HIS  SUCCESSORS 

Kublai,  a grandson  of  Genghis,  born  in  1216, 
was  the  most  eminent  of  his  descendants,  and  be- 
came the  founder  of  the  Yuan  dynasty  in  China. 

In  1226-7,  though  still  very  young,  he  and 
Hulagu  had  taken  part  in  Genghis’  last  campaign. 
In  1235  Mangu  sent  Kublai  against  the  Sung  em- 
peror in  China,  whose  capital  was  at  Hangchow, 
but  for  some  unknown  reason  he  went  to  Yunnan 
instead.  He  captured  the  city  of  Ta-li  Fu,  and  left 
his  army  there,  while  he  returned  to  the  north.  In 
1260  he  was  elected  in  an  assembly  at  Shangtu,1  to 
succeed  Mangu  as  khakan.  Although  elected  to 
this  high  position,  he  had  to  fight  his  brother  Arik- 
bugha  and  his  cousin  Kaidu,  in  order  to  obtain  it. 

In  1264  Kublai  established  his  capital  at  Peking, 
and  built  the  so-called  “Tartar  City,”  which  then 
included  one-third  more  of  area  than  it  does  now. 
The  old  wall  two  miles  north  of  the  city  still  exists, 

1 The  ruins  of  Shangtu  are  near  Dolonnor,  200  miles 
north  of  Peking. 


225 


226 


A Flight  for  Life 


and  is  called  the  “Mongol  Wall.”  The  building 
of  the  city  was  finished  in  1267,  and  was  known  as 
Cambaluc,  the  “City  of  the  Khan.” 

The  next  year  the  war  against  the  Sung  kingdom 
was  resumed.  Hsiang-yang  and  Fan-ch’eng  on  the 
Han  River  held  out  for  five  years.  In  1276  Hang- 
chow was  taken,  and  the  emperor  and  his  mother 
were  sent  to  Peking.  The  princes  of  the  Sung 
dynasty  attempted  to  maintain  themselves  in  the 
provinces  of  Fu-kien  and  Canton,  but  were  over- 
come, and  in  1279  the  minister  and  his  prince 
jumped  into  the  sea  together.  So  the  whole  of 
China  came  under  the  sway  of  the  Mongols. 

Kublai  probably  ruled  over  more  people  than 
any  monarch  before  his  time.  In  his  reign  the 
Mongol  empire  attained  its  greatest  extent  and 
power.  The  conquests  of  his  generals  extended 
the  limits  of  the  realm,  until  no  one  could  ascer- 
tain where  they  were. 

Having  been  educated  in  China,  he  understood 
the  customs  of  the  country,  and  was  popular 
among  the  Chinese,  though  he  did  not  raise  them 
to  the  highest  offices.  He  was  warlike,  but  not  bar- 
barous ; intelligent,  benevolent,  and  a patron  of 
learning.  He  made  two  of  the  astronomical  in- 
struments which  have  attracted  so  much  attention 


Kublai  Khan  and  his  Successors 


227 


in  Peking.  His  splendor,  his  palace,  his  hunting 
expeditions,  the  paper  currency,  and  the  vigor  of 
his  administration,  are  described  by  Marco  Polo. 
He  was  fortunate  in  having  such  a guest  from  afar, 
to  make  known  to  the  western  world  the  grandeur 
of  his  realm. 

Kublai  had  the  genuine  Mongol  thirst  for  new 
dominions.  He  fitted  out  several  expeditions  to 
subdue  Japan.  The  last  one,  in  1278,  was  prepared 
on  an  immense  scale.  All  of  his  efforts  were  in 
vain.  The  Mongols  never  were  successful  at  sea. 
The  difficulty  of  raising  money  to  defray  the  ex- 
penses was  all  that  prevented  a renewal  of  the 
attempt.  He  obtained  a temporary  success  in  Co- 
chin-China, and  a real  victory  over  Burmah,  where 
his  troops  overran  the  country  to  the  delta  of  the 
Irrawaddy,  and  destroyed  the  old  capital  and 
dynasty.  Expeditions  sent  to  obtain  professions  of 
homage,  and  to  bring  back  curious  presents  and 
reports  of  foreign  countries,  went  as  far  as  to  south- 
ern India,  eastern  Africa,  and  even  to  Madagascar. 

In  1287,  in  his  old  age,  Kublai  went  in  person 
against  Nayan,  a prince  of  his  own  family,  who, 
with  Kaidu,  had  stirred  up  a revolt  in  Manchuria. 
He  took  and  executed  Nayan. 

His  last  war  was  against  Java.  A great  army  and 


228 


A Flight  for  Life 


fleet  were  prepared  at  Foochow.  On  attempting 
to  land  in  Java,  a battle  occurred,  in  which  3,000 
men  were  lost.  After  this,  the  expedition  returned 
to  China. 

The  great  khakan  died  in  1294,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-eight.  Near  the  end  of  his  reign  the  first 
Roman  Catholic  missionary,  John  of  Montecorvino, 
came  to  Peking,  and  labored  with  considerable 
success. 

Timur,  a grandson  of  Kublai,  succeeded  him. 
During  his  reign  the  families  of  Ogdai  and  Jagatai 
became  reconciled  to  the  ruling  house. 

Kaissan,  a nephew  of  Timur,  became  the  next 
emperor.  “On  the  election  being  announced,  four 
of  the  princes  of  the  blood  raised  the  new  khakan 
aloft  on  a piece  of  white  felt,  two  others  supported 
him,  while  a seventh  offered  him  the  cup.  While 
Shaman  offered  up  prayers  for  his  prosperity,  and 
saluted  him  by  the  title  of  Kuluk  Khan,  carts  full 
of  gold  pieces  and  rich  tissues  were  brought  out 
and  distributed.  So  many  pearls  were  spread  on 
the  ground,  that  it  resembled  the  sky.  The  feast 
lasted  a week,  during  each  day  of  which  forty  oxen 
and  four  thousand  sheep  were  consumed.  Libations 
of  milk  from  seven  hundred  sacred  cows  and  seven 
thousand  ewes  were  sprinkled  on  the  ground.” 


Kublai  Khan  and  his  Successors 


229 


Kaissan  died  in  1311,  at  the  age  of  thirty-one. 
His  nephew  Buyantu  succeeded  him.  He  was  a 
patron  of  literature,  and  rescued  the  “stone  drums” 
of  the  Chou  dynasty,  of  the  date  of  B.c.  1 122-255, 
and  placed  them  in  the  temple  to  Confucius  in 
Peking,  where  they  still  remain.  The  offices  of 
government  were  filled  with  Mongols,  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  the  Chinese.  Literary  qualifications  for 
holding  office  were  ignored,  and  the  Chinese  felt 
that  their  most  cherished  customs  were  being  sub- 
verted. 

Buyantu  died  in  1320,  and  his  son  Gegen  reigned 
in  his  stead.  After  three  years  he  was  assassinated, 
being  the  first  one  of  these  rulers  to  suffer  a vio- 
lent death. 

Yissun  Timur  was  the  next  emperor.  Before  his 
time  China  had  consisted  of  twelve  provinces.  He 
divided  it  into  eighteen. 

The  rulers  that  followed  him  were  weak  and 
worthless,  caring  only  for  pl'easure.  Meantime 
floods  and  earthquakes  devastated  the  land,  and 
there  were  insurrections  in  various  places.  The 
discontent  was  increased  by  the  impoverishment 
of  the  people,  through  an  enormous  issue  of  paper 
money,  which  became  worthless. 

The  last  Mongol  emperor  was  Toghon  Timur. 


230 


A Flight  for  Life 


He  ordered  70,000  men  to  make  a new  channel  for 
the  Yellow  River,  and  imposed  new  taxes  to  meet 
the  expense.  A comet  appeared.  Then  there  was 
a severe  earthquake,  which  overthrew  the  temple 
of  Imperial  Ancestors,  and  in  the  darkness  and  con- 
fusion the  silver  tablets  were  stolen.  There  was  a 
rebellion  in  the  south,  another  in  Corea,  and  still 
another  in  the  north,  which  almost  annihilated  the 
army  sent  against  it.  In  1368,  after  eighty-nine 
years  of  rule  and  misrule,  the  Mongols  were  driven 
out  of  China,  and  a Buddhist  priest  established  the 
Ming  dynasty. 

To  this  day,  however,  the  common  people  of 
China  make  their  clothing  on  the  Mongol  pattern, 
and  the  lamas  wear  the  imperial  color,  yellow,  which 
was  permitted  them  by  a special  decree  of  an  em- 
peror. 

Toghon  Timur  fled  to  Dolonnor,  where  he  soon 
after  died.  His  successor  was  Biliktu,  who  died 
in  1379;  and  the  ruler  after  him  was  Assakhal. 

When  driven  from  China,  the  army  fled  to  Keru- 
lon,  in  northern  Mongolia.  There  the  Chinese  de- 
feated Ussakhal,  and  took  as  prisoners  2994  officers 
and  77,000  men,  and  a large  amount  of  booty. 

Afterward  the  eastern  Mongols  were  governed  by 
those  of  the  west.  For  fifty  years  the  Oirads 


Kublai  Khan  and  his  Successors 


231 


treated  them  as  vassals.  The  eastern  tribes  finally 
broke  up  in  1604-1634,  under  Lingdan  Khan,  who 
was  arrogant  and  brutal. 

When  the  Ming  dynasty  became  weak,  the  Mon- 
gols who  had  formerly  been  in  China  returned 
from  the  north  and  occupied  the  Ordus  desert. 
The  royal  family  took  possession  of  the  Chakhar 
country,  and  in  1644  aided  the  Manchus  to  obtain 
control  of  China.  For  this  service  the  Manchus 
gave  them  special  privileges,  enrolled  them  as  eight 
banners  of  the  army,  and  allowed  them  to  occupy 
the  fertile  prairie  north  of  Kalgan,  guarding  the 
road  to  Peking  from  the  northwest. 

The  Khalkha  tribe,  north  of  the  Gobi,  in  the 
seventeenth  century  yielded  a nominal  allegiance 
to  Russia.  Afterward  they  threw  it  off  and  helped 
the  Khirghiz  Mongols  against  their  former  suze- 
rain. Still  later  their  chief,  the  “Golden  Khan,” 
sent  an  embassy  to  Russia,  requesting  presents  of 
jewels,  arms,  a telescope,  a clock,  and  “a  monk 
who  had  gone  to  Jerusalem,  that  he  might  teach 
the  Khalkhas  how  the  Christians  pray.” 

Early  in  the  Manchu  dynasty,  the  Khalkhas 
sought  the  help  of  China,  to  save  them  from  being 
exterminated  by  the  Kalmuks  and  Eleuths.  The 
Emperor  K’ang-hsi  invited  all  their  chiefs  to  meet 


232  A Flight  for  Life 

him  at  Dolonnor,  and  on  that  occasion  they  were 
incorporated  in  the  “Middle  Kingdom.’’ 

The  Torgod  Mongols,  who  lived  near  Astrakhan, 
were  attacked  alternately  by  the  Russians  and 
Turks,  and  in  1771  emigrated  to  Hi,  in  the  western 
part  of  Chinese  Tartary.  Seventy  thousand  families 
made  the  journey  of  seventeen  hundred  miles. 
The  Russians  vainly  endeavored  to  win  them  back. 
The  Chinese  gave  a year’s  food  to  each  family, 
besides  land,  money  and  cattle.  Probably  300,000 
persons  of  this  tribe  survived  to  reach  Ili. 

The  Kalmuks,  in  1444,  acquired  an  empire  in 
western  Asia.  They  frequently  fought  China  or 
Russia.  The  Emperor  K’ang-hsi  defeated  them, 
in  order  to  protect  the  Khalkhas,  and  a few  dec- 
ades later  Ch’ien-lung  subjugated  them. 

The  Buriats,  inhabiting  the  lands  around  Lake 
Baikal,  came  under  the  control  of  Russia.  They 
are  the  most  civilized  of  all  the  Mongols. 

The  Golden  Horde  were  the  army  whose  ravages 
in  Russia  have  already  been  described.  Their 
leader,  Batu,  a grandson  of  Genghis,  set  up  his 
golden  tent  by  the  Volga.  His  brother,  Bereke, 
who  succeeded  him,  carried  desolation  a second 
time  into  Poland.  He  was  converted  to  Islam,  and 
died  in  1265.  In  the  time  of  his  successor,  Usbeg, 


Kublai  Khan  and  his  Successors 


233 


this  Horde  were  becoming  somewhat  civilized. 
Their  khan  married  a princess  to  the  Sultan  of 
Egypt,  and  another  to  George,  prince  of  Moscow. 
He  summoned  the  grand-prince  Michael  of  Russia, 
condemned,  tortured  and  executed  him.  Then  he 
began  to  sympathize  with  Christianity ! Janibeg, 
a later  khan,  was  said  to  be  “just,  God-fearing,  and 
the  patron  of  the  meritorious,”  yet  he  raided  Po- 
land after  the  old  fashion. 

The  White  Horde  lived  farther  to  the  east.  It 
was  conquered  and  ruled  by  an  enemy  named  Tok- 
tamish.  In  1382  he  pillaged  and  burned  Moscow, 
and  slaughtered  the  inhabitants.  Other  Russian 
cities  suffered  in  the  same  way.  In  1390  he  led  90,- 
000  troops  against  Tamerlane.  He  was  successful 
at  first,  but  afterward  was  defeated,  and  his  country 
near  the  Volga  was  laid  waste.  Five  years  later,  it 
was  devastated  again  by  the  same  enemy. 

After  the  Golden  Horde  was  destroyed,  the 
Kazaks  established  a dominion  east  of  the  Caspian. 
They  made  war  against  the  Moghul  empire,  and 
with  each  other,  and  finally  fell  under  the  power  of 
Russia. 

The  Krim  Tartars  lived  in  the  region  of  the 
Crimea,  which  took  its  name  from  them.  At  one 
time  they  helped  the  Russians  against  the  Golden 


234 


A Flight  for  Life 


Horde.  In  1555,  the  Russians  having  taken  Kasan 
and  Astrakhan,  the  Krims  attacked  Moscow,  and 
burned  the  city,  churches,  and  all  the  houses  within 
a radius  of  thirty  miles,  but  were  not  able  to  take 
the  Kremlin.  The  number  of  people  killed,  and  the 
value  of  the  treasures  carried  away,  were  exceed- 
ingly  great.  The  Mongols  withdrew  to  the  Crimea, 
ravaging  the  country  as  they  went.  In  1572  they 
again  invaded  Russia,  but  were  defeated.  After 
the  accession  of  Peter  the  Great  their  power  de- 
clined. The  Russians  invaded  the  Crimea  in  1735 
and  took  control  of  their  country  in  1783. 

After  all  that  the  Russians  have  suffered  at  the 
hands  of  the  Tartars,  it  is  remarkable  that  they  can 
have  any  kind  feelings  toward  them. 

The  history  of  the  Mongols  is  a sad  tale.  They 
have  shown  how  bloodthirsty  and  cruel  human 
nature  at  its  worst  can  be.  They  fought  for  booty 
and  a name.  They  obtained  both,  and  caused  un- 
told miseries  to  their  fellow  men.  Their  history  is 
not  yet  ended.  Buddhism  has  made  them  mild ; 
Christianity  will  make  them  moral,  intelligent  and 
happy;  and  they  may  sometime  become  a blessing 
to  the  world. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


A COUNTRY  WITHOUT  A SEAPORT 

Mongolia,  the  central  part  of  Chinese  Tartary, 
of  the  same  size  as  China  Proper,  and  due  north  of 
it,  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Siberia,  on  the  east 
by  Manchuria,  and  on  the  west  by  Ili.1  Outer  and 
Inner  Mongolia  are  the  parts  north  and  south  of 
the  desert  of  Gobi.  The  Chinese  are  Mongolians 
only  in  a wide  sense  of  the  term,  including  all  the 
east-Asiatic  peoples.  The  Mongols  occupy  more 
land  than  that  of  Mongolia,  some  of  their  tribes 
living  in  Ili,  southern  and  western  Siberia,  and  even 
the  southeastern  portion  of  European  Russia. 
Mongolia  is  said  to  contain  only  two  or  three 
million  people,  or  one  hundredth  part  of  the  popu- 
lation of  China.  Besides  these,  the  Khirghis  tribe 
has  three  million,  occupying  as  many  square  miles 
of  land  between  Ili  and  the  Caspian  Sea,  and  other 
tribes  in  Russia  bring  the  total  of  the  Mongol  race 
to  about  seven  million  souls. 

1 Ili,  pronounced  Ee-lee,  is  also  a part  of  the  Chinese  em- 
pire. 


235 


236 


A Flight  for  Life 


Even  a short  journey  reveals  the  sparseness  of 
the  population.  There  are  scarcely  any  cities. 
The  largest,  Urga,  has  perhaps  thirty-five  thou- 
sand ; Uliassutai  has  a few  thousand ; Cobdo  has 
two  thousand  houses ; and  Dolonnor  is  a small 
trading  city,  with  more  Chinese  than  Mongols. 
The  villages  contain  from  one  to  twenty  families 
each,  and  are  miles  apart.  The  people  being  of 
pastoral  habits,  the  land  cannot  support  nearly  as 
many  as  it  could  if  they  tilled  the  soil.  The  desert 
of  Gobi,  three  hundred  miles  wide  and  over  a 
thousand,  miles  long,  is  almost  uninhabitable.1 
About  half  of  the  Mongols  being  priests,  their 
celibacy  hinders  the  natural  increase  of  the  popu- 
lation. The  lack  of  knowledge  of  hygiene,  and  the 
lack  of  decent  dwellings,  cause  much  sickness  and 
a high  death-rate.  The  tents  are  a poor  shelter 
from  the  weather.  In  the  rainy  season  they  are 
recking  with  dampness.  Sleeping  on  the  cold  or 
wet  ground,  or  on  damp  mats  of  felt,  the  people 
almost  universally  suffer  with  rheumatism.  Skin- 
diseases  prevail,  as  the  result  of  uncleanly  habits. 
The  cold  climate  and  lack  of  houses  forbid  bathing. 
The  native  physicians  have  no  scientific  knowledge 

'Yet  some  people  live  in  the  desert,  along  the  trade 
routes,  making  their  living  by  barter. 


A Country  Without  a Seaport 


237 


or  valuable  training.  Their  chief  interest  is  to 
receive  high  pay  for  their  services.  Even  if  the 
patient  is  in  great  pain  or  danger,  the  doctor  will 
slowly  dicker  as  to  the  amount  of  his  remunera- 
tion, in  case  of  a successful  cure ; and  only  after 
that  important  question  is  settled  will  he  try  to  ad- 
minister relief.  His  methods  and  materia  medica 
resemble  those  of  Chinese  physicians.  It  has  been 
said  that  in  any  village  the  number  of  diseased 
persons  equals  that  of  the  inhabitants.  In  view  of 
all  these  facts,  it  is  not  strange  that  the  country  is 
so  sparsely  populated. 

A careful  estimate  of  the  Jahara  (Chakhar)  tribe 
near  Kalgan  gave,  as  a result,  a population  of  forty 
thousand  souls.  The  exact  area  which  they  occupy 
is  not  easily  defined,  but  is  somewhat  like  a semi- 
circle, whose  radius,  on  the  Urga  road,  is  one 
hundred  and  forty  miles.  Supposing  these  data 
correct,  the  area  would  be  sixty-one  thousand, 
six  hundred  square  miles,  and  the  average  popu- 
lation would  be  only  0.65,  or  less  than  one  person 
to  a square  mile.  Yet  this  is  a fair  sample,  or  bet- 
ter than  the  average,  for  the  Jaharas  obtained  these 
fine  pasture  lands  as  a special  privilege. 

Mongolia  having  no  seacoast  and  no  port,  never 
will  need  a navy.  With  such  slight  resources,  and 


238 


A Flight  for  Life 


with  no  natural  boundaries,  it  never  can  be  inde- 
pendent, but  always  must  be  governed  by  China 
or  Russia.  There  are  hardly  any  rivers.  Not  one 
is  crossed  in  going  from  Kalgan  to  Urga,  a dis- 
tance of  seven  hundred  and  ten  miles,  except  the 
Tola,  which  is  closed  to  the  latter  city.1  A navi- 
gable portion  of  the  Yellow  River  flows  through  the 
southern  part  of  the  land ; but  the  shoals,  rapidly 
changing  their  positions,  endanger  navigation ; 
and  the  current  is  so  strong,  that  between  Ning- 
lisia  and  Pao-t’ou,  a distance  of  two  hundred  and 
sixty  miles,  whereas  the  voyage  down  the  river 
occupies  seven  days,  the  return  trip  requires 
twenty-four.  Running  on  a shoal,  the  boat  is  liable 
to  be  upset.  At  night  it  is  difficult  to  find  a safe 
anchorage.  After  heavy  rains,  or  when  the  snow 
is  thawing  on  distant  mountains,  torrents  of  water 
come  down,  in  which  the  boats  are  as  helpless  as 
bits  of  straw.  Below  Pao-t’ou  boats  never  ascend 
the  river ; they  go  down  stream,  and  after  arriving 
at  their  destination  are  broken  up  and  sold  as 
planks. 

On  the  northeast  border  are  the  Argun  and  Onon 
Rivers,  important  branches  of  the  Amur.  The 

1 The  River  of  Gobi,  which  is  a dry  torrent  bed,  and  the 
Tuerin,  which  is  a tiny,  trickling  stream,  are  too  insignifi- 
cant to  be  considered  in  this  connection. 


A Country  Without  a Seaport 


239 


rivers  near  Urga  join  the  Selenga,  which  flows 
northward,  and  is  not  navigable  in  Mongolia.  The 
headwaters  of  the  Yenesei,  and  a few  streams  that 
empty  into  small  lakes,  complete  the  list  of  the 
rivers  of  this  country. 

The  chief  mountains  are  the  Hing-an  on  the 
east,  the  Altai  and  T’ien-shan  on  the  north  and 
west,  and  the  Alashan  on  the  southwest.  The 
country  is  a table-land,  four  or  five  thousand  feet 
above  the  sea-level,  but  somewhat  lower  in  the 
desert,  which  in  recent  geological  times  was  an  in- 
land sea.  The  land  mostly  consists  of  low  hills 
alternating  with  flat  plains.  Mountains,  which  at 
a distance  appear  high,  are  found,  on  nearer  ap- 
proach, to  rise  so  gradually,  that  a Peking  cart 
could  be  driven  to  the  summit  without  difficulty. 
The  mountain  of  Chwerin  is  an  exception,  being 
steep  and  craggy.  On  the  sides  of  the  hills,  in 
many  places,  can  be  seen  terraces,  that  were  carved 
by  running  water  ages  ago,  when  the  valleys  were 
not  so  deep  as  they  are  now. 

The  stone  altars  on  the  hilltops  are  conspicuous 
landmarks.  The  traveler  carefully  notices  them, 
and  thereby  avoids  losing  his  way. 

The  Haraching  Mongols,  in  the  southeast,  till 
the  soil,  and  speak  Chinese.  The  tribes  of  the 


240 


A Flight  for  Life 


north,  being  far  from  Peking,  are  kept  in  nominal 
subjection  by  annual  gifts  from  the  emperor. 
They  send  him  tribute,  and  receive  much  more 
valuable  presents  in  return.  Thus  they  are  bribed 
to  keep  the  peace.  The  custom,  however,  is  not 
wholly  bad. 

Mongolia  always  has  suffered  from  the  lack  of 
natural  boundaries,  such  as  those  which  protect 
Japan  and  Tibet.  Invading  armies  could  enter 
easily  from  any  side.  This  has  prevented  a feeling 
of  national  unity,  without  which  no  people  can 
attain  their  highest  prosperity.  The  tribes  have 
shown  little  cohesion,  except  occasionally  under 
the  influence  of  an  able  leader. 

Properly  speaking,  there  are  no  manufactures 
or  commerce.  Some  Mongols  can  make  boots, 
saddles  and  tents,  or  even  a decent  knife  or  lock, 
but  the  goods  are  only  for  home  use.  Those  who 
live  near  the  Russians  or  Chinese,  prefer  to  buy 
manufactured  articles  from  them.  This  comports 
with  their  tendency  to  avoid  work.  Horses,  camels, 
cattle  and  sheep,  are  the  products  of  Mongolia. 
Chinese  merchants  buy,  and  send  to  the  south, 
hides,  wool,  camel’s  hair,  crude  salt  and  soda,  pine 
lumber  from  Urga,  timber  of  the  fir-tree  from 
Dolonnor,  and  antelope’s  horns,  for  use  as  medi- 


A Country  Without  a Seaport 


24 1 


cine.  The  transportation  of  tea  from  China  to 
Siberia  is  one  of  the  chief  industries.  In  some  years 
three  hundred  thousand  boxes  of  tea  have  been 
sent  over  the  Urga  route,  valued  at  twenty  million 
dollars  gold.  The  tea  is  raised  near  Hankow.  Its 
transportation  on  camels  is  very  expensive,  as  well 
as  slow,  and  a railroad,  if  built,  while  having  little 
local  traffic,  would  have  enough  through  freight  to 
make  probable  its  commercial  success. 

Religion  and  wine,  and  the  condition  of  their 
animals,  occupy  the  thoughts  of  the  natives.  There 
is  no  desire  thoroughly  to  understand  their  own 
country,  much  less  to  defend  it.  Foreign  exports 
and  imports  are  meaningless  words. 

Schools  are  very  few,  and  one  of  them  may  have 
only  two  or  three  pupils,  or  possibly  six  or  eight ; 
for  the  people  have  little  ambition  to  study,  and  the 
priests  doubtless  desire  to  keep  them  in  ignorance. 
The  latter  study  Tibetan  in  the  temples,  but  the 
most  of  them  learn  only  to  pronounce  the  words, 
for  that  is  the  essential  part  of  reading  prayers. 
Yet  illiteracy  is  less  prevalent  than  in  China,  be- 
cause the  Mongols  have  more  leisure,  not  being 
under  the  pressure  of  poverty,  and  not  spending 
so  much  of  their  time  in  hard  work. 

A considerable  portion  of  the  laymen  can  read 


242 


A Flight  for  Life 


Mongolian.  Excepting  those  in  official  life,  and 
those  living  near  the  frontiers,  there  are  few  who 
learn  to  speak  more  than  one  language.  The  Mon- 
gols seem  not  to  know  that  such  studies  as  mathe- 
matics and  the  sciences  exist.  The  most  recently 
arrived  traveler  is  their  newspaper.  Their  nation 
has  had  its  rise  and  fall.  The  vicissitudes  of  other 
nations  are  of  no  account  to  them. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


IN  THE  “HOUSE  BEAUTIFUL,”  THE  CONSU- 
LATE AT  URGA 

Our  stay  in  Urga  was  only  four  days.  The  con- 
sul-general, and  Mr.  Pavyel,  the  priest,  treated  us 
very  kindly.  The  former  gave  to  each  of  us  a Rus- 
sian passport,  which  would  enable  us  to  enter  Sibe- 
ria and  travel  to  St.  Petersburg.  He  also  offered 
to  lend  us  a thousand  ounces  of  silver,  but  we 
thought  it  would  not  be  necessary.  This  offer 
was  prompted  by  the  kindness  of  Mr.  J.  Dietrick, 
a rich  miner  from  California,  who  desired  to  help 
us.  The  secretary  of  consulate,  Mr.  Dolbescheff, 
“had  charge  of  us,”  and  w'as  most  attentive  in  sup- 
plying our  wants.  The  postmaster,  students,  Cos- 
sacks and  servants,  were  friendly  and  helpful. 

The  weather  wras  cloudy  and  showery  all  the 
time  that  we  wrere  in  Urga.  The  forests  on  the 
mountains  were  a feast  to  our  eyes.  After  such  a 
long  and  difficult  journey,  it  was  an  unspeakable 
relief  to  rest  a few  days  among  friends. 

Another  missionary,  Mr.  O.  S.  Nastegard,  Jr., 
243 


244 


A Flight  for  Life 


a Norwegian  Lutheran,  who  had  been  living  in 
Urga  several  years,  preaching  to  the  Mongols,  was 
obliged  to  go  to  Siberia  with  us,  because  of  the 
Boxer  troubles  in  Urga.  We  were  glad  to  have 
his  company.  As  he  could  speak  Russian  and 
Mongolian,  as  well  as  English  and  several  other 
languages,  he  was  sure  to  be  a great  help. 

The  Boxers  had  reached  Urga  before  us,  and 
were  stirring  up  strife.  Two  thousand  Chinese 
troops,  on  the  west  side  of  the  city,  were  practis- 
ing the  Boxer  tactics.  That  which  the  Russians 
most  apprehended  was  that  their  houses,  which 
were  all  built  of  wood,  might  be  burned.  One 
evil-minded  man,  on  a windy  night,  could  do  a 
work  of  great  harm.  The  high  Chinese  and  Mon- 
gol mandarins  already  had  proclaimed  that  they 
would  not  be  responsible  for  the  lives  of  foreigners, 
which  was  the  same  as  advertising  that  any  one 
might  kill  them  with  impunity.  The  arrival  of  our 
caravan  of  innocent  civilians  had  been  viewed  by 
the  natives  with  suspicion  and  alarm.  We  were 
supposed  to  be  Russian  soldiers  in  disguise.  One 
Mongol  was  overheard  saying  to  another  on  the 
street : “Something  is  surely  going  to  happen,  for 
so  many  Russians  have  just  come,  and  they  are  all 
people  whom  we  do  not  know.”  The  mandarins 


In  the  “ House  Beautiful ” 


245 


were  urging  the  consul-general  to  send  us  off  at 
once,  and  he  told  us  that,  for  our  own  sakes,  we 
ought  to  go  to  Siberia  as  quickly  as  possible.  Mr. 
Larson  could  not  avoid  promising  him  that  wre 
should  go  in  two  or  three  days ; but  there  were 
so  many  preparations  to  be  made,  that  it  seemed 
impossible  to  go  so  soon. 

Less  than  a week  from  that  time,  a quadrennial 
feast  or  fair  was  to  be  held,  at  a place  ten  miles 
from  Urga,  on  the  road  which  we  were  to  take. 
Every  official  in  Mongolia  would  be  present,  in- 
cluding the  Living  Buddha.  The  Russians  said 
that  about  a million  persons  would  be  there.  This 
estimate  doubtless  was  too  large,  but  shows  the 
importance  of  the  occasion.  There  were  to  be 
horse-races,  wrestling  contests,  a brisk  business, 
and  worshiping  of  the  gods.  The  popular  feeling 
toward  foreigners  being  so  hostile,  it  would  not 
be  safe  for  us  to  be  near  that  place,  after  the  multi- 
tudes should  have  begun  to  assemble.  The  day 
after  leaving  Urga,  we  saw  the  place  where  the 
feast  was  to  be  celebrated.  Preparations  were 
being  made,  and  trees  that  had  been  cut  down  were 
being  planted  before  the  tents,  to  facilitate  the 
hitching  of  horses. 

While  we  were  in  the  consulate,  our  “combina- 


246 


A Flight  for  Life 


tion”  had  to  be  reorganized.  We  were  not  a homo- 
geneous company.  There  were  the  Larson  party, 
including  the  Lundquists  and  Soderboms,  the 
Oberg  party,  the  American  Board  party,  and  Mr. 
Fagerholm,  whom  we  called  “The  Fagerholm 
party.”  Under  the  stress  of  the  Boxer  troubles  in 
China,  we  had  promised  allegiance  to  Captain 
Larson,  who  was  our  “Moses,”  about  to  lead  us 
through  the  desert.  Our  hope  was  that  we  might 
remain  in  Urga  until  the  disturbances  in  China 
should  quiet  down.  Having  reached  our  destina- 
tion, and  a place  of  comparative  safety,  there  was 
less  cohesion  in  our  company,  and  individual  and 
party  claims  asserted  themselves.  Mr.  Larson, 
brave  and  happy  on  the  journey,  was  discouraged 
and  downcast  while  in  the  consulate. 

We  were  all  sorrowful  at  having  to  part  with 
our  faithful  attendants.  We  had  learned  to  love 
them  very  much ; but  they  wished  to  return  to  their 
homes  in  Hara  Oso,  and,  considering  the  differ- 
ences in  dialect  and  customs,  it  was  necessary  to 
hire  northern  Mongols  for  traveling  in  northern 
Mongolia.  In  dismissing  the  men,  Mr.  Larson 
gave  them,  as  part  of  their  wages,  two  ounces  of 
silver  each,  a good  horse  for  each  to  ride,  a small 
tent,  and  a horse  to  carry  the  tent  and  baggage. 


In  the  “House  Beautiful” 


247 


As  Mr.  Nastegard  was  acquainted  with  the 
Mongols  in  Urga,  he  hired  some  of  them  to  drive 
our  camels  to  Siberia,  and  they  naturally  looked  to 
him,  rather  than  to  Mr.  Larson,  as  their  com- 
mander. In  fact,  Mr.  Nastegard  was  a man  of 
such  ability, — far-seeing,  determined  and  brave,  as 
well  as  kind-hearted,  and  polite  in  manner, — that 
he  was  one  fitted  for  leadership.  Yet  Mr.  Larson 
had  done  us  such  an  incalculable  service  in  bring- 
ing us  all  the  way  through  the  desert  to  Urga,  and 
had  shown  such  splendid  qualities  of  mind  and 
heart,  that  we  begged  him  to  continue  to  be  our 
captain.  This  he  finally  consented  to  do. 

One  of  his  principles  was  that  he  would  have  no 
one  for  his  follower  who  was  unwilling  to  place 
all  of  his  money  at  the  disposal  of  the  caravan.  He 
had  a right  to  require  this,  not  only  because 
mutual  helpfulness  was  essential  to  success,  but 
also  because  he  had  spent  for  the  caravan  every 
cent  of  his  own,  and  more  than  any  other  individual 
had  paid.  Yet  the  American  Board  funds  were  low, 
and  must  suffice  for  the  support  of  six  people,  and 
we  had  no  assurance  that  a new  supply  of  money 
could  be  obtained  in  Siberia.  The  public  nature  of 
these  funds  led  us  to  hesitate  as  to  our  right  to 
place  them  unreservedly  at  the  command  of  a per- 


248 


A Flight  for  Life 


son  not  formally  connected  with  the  Board ; but 
inasmuch  as  our  flight  for  life  was  not  yet  ended, 
and  we  were  still  dependent  on  our  leader,  he  was 
really  connected  with  us  and  our  Board  in  a most 
vital  way,  and  gratitude,  as  well  as  necessity,  re- 
quired us  to  put  all  our  resources  at  his  com- 
mand. 

We  were  anxious  to  send  a cablegram  to  Ameri- 
ca, asking  that  money  be  sent  for  our  use.  The 
consul-general  told  us  that,  as  Siberia  was  in  a 
state  of  war,  private  telegrams  would  not  be  sent 
promptly,  but  he  would  forward  our  cablegram  as 
an  official  telegram  to  St.  Petersburg,  at  an  ex- 
pense of  only  five  cents  a word.  For  our  Swedish 
friends  he  sent  a telegram  to  their  minister  in  St. 
Petersburg,  asking  him  to  send  five  thousand 
rubles1  for  their  traveling  expenses,  charging  it  to 
the  Christian  Alliance  in  NewT  York.  For  the 
Americans  he  sent  the  following: — 

“United  States  Minister,  St.  Petersburg. 

Please  cable  Femstalk,  Boston : Kalgan  burned.  For- 
eigners including  Murdock  arrived  Urga.  Inform  friends. 
Ask  Fernstalk  cable  approval  five  persons  return  America, 
and  fifteen  hundred  dollars  Russo-Chinese  Bank,  Kiachta. 

“Roberts.” 


1 Nearly  $2,600.00  U.  S.  gold. 


In  the  “House  Beautiful” 


249 


Fernstalk  is  the  code  word  for  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions. 
Miss  Engh,  of  our  party,  was  going  to  her  home 
in  Sweden,  and  her  expenses  must  be  paid  out  of 
the  fifteen  hundred  dollars,  as  well  as  those  of  the 
five  going  to  America,  but  in  the  cablegram  we 
could  not  specify  details.  We  were  not  sure  that 
so  many  would  go  to  America,  for  some  might 
wish  to  stay  in  Siberia,  awaiting  a change  in  Chi- 
nese affairs;  but  we  thought  best  to  ask  the  same 
permission  for  all,  and  the  event  showed  that  this 
action  was  not  a mistake. 

The  cablegrams  were  sent  by  a fast  courier,  who 
left  Urga  with  a light  mail  at  daybreak,  August 
2,  and,  traveling  with  relays  of  horses,  reached 
Kiachta,  two  hundred  and  ten  miles  distant,  the 
next  day.  From  that  city  the  message  went  “like 
lightning,”  and  the  American  papers  of  August 
3 gave  the  first  news  of  our  escape  from  China, 
in  the  following  despatch  to  the  New  York  Journal 
and  Advertiser : — 

“Seven  American  missionaries  from  Pekin  and  their 
families  have  arrived  in  Troitzkosawask,  Transbaikali, 
Siberia.  They  escaped  from  Pekin,  and  were  chased  across 
the  sand  and  mountains  of  the  Gobi  desert,  for  400  miles, 
suffering  fearful  tortures  from  the  hot  sand,  exposure  and 
lack  of  food  and  water.  The  Russian  governor  of  Trans- 


250 


A Flight  for  Life 


baikali  sent  out  500  Cossacks,  who  galloped  south  400 
miles  into  the  desert,  and  rescued  them.  The  cavalry  gave 
them  food  and  shelter,  and  brought  them  to  Troitzkosa- 
wask,  where  they  are  receiving  care  at  the  hands  of  the 
authorities.” 

\ 

This  account,  though  sensational  and  inexact, 
was  not  far  from  the  truth.  It  brought  relief  to  the 
minds  of  our  home  friends,  who  for  weeks  had 
been  in  suspense  as  to  our  fate ; but  they  did  not 
know  whether  it  was  trustworthy,  nor  whether  it 
referred  to  us,  as  it  did  not  mention  our  names. 
Probably  they  tried  to  imagine  in  what  way  the 
“cavalry”  had  given  us  “shelter.”  Within  a few 
days,  our  own  cablegram  was  received  by  our 
friends,  and  they  knew  that  we  had  reached  Urga, 
and  were  going  to  Siberia. 

Previously,  when  our  telegram  from  Tuerin 
came  to  Urga,  Mr.  J.  Dietrick  laid  it  before  Von 
Grote,  the  head  of  the  gold-mining  company,  and 
he  telegraphed  it  to  St.  Petersburg,  saying: 
“Americans  and  Swedes  are  coming  to  Urga  re- 
questing protection,  and  how  can  we  protect  them 
without  soldiers?”  Thereupon  orders  were  sent 
by  the  Russian  government,  that  three  hundred 
and  fifty  Cossacks'  should  go  to  Urga  to  protect 


1 See  Appendix  A. 


In  the  “House  Beautiful” 


251 


us ; — and  we  met  them  the  second  day  after  we  left 
the  city. 

We  went  to  the  Mongolian  part  of  Urga,’  nearly 
two  miles  from  the  consulate,  to  exchange  our 
Chinese  bullion  for  Russian  coin.  The  road  was 
a new  one,  graded  by  the  Russians  for  their  “trac- 
tion engines,”  which  were  soon  to  come  from 
Kiachta.  We  passed  by  temples  and  yamens  and 
Mongol  tents,  and  saw  many  prayer-wheels  in  little 
sheds,  and  yards  surrounded  by  palisades  ten  or 
twelve  feet  high,  and  lamas  in  red  and  yellow 
gowns  riding  on  swift  horses.  Urga  is  famous  for 
its  religion,  immorality,  beggars,  street  dogs  and 
filth.  We  saw  only  a part  of  each,  but  sufficient. 
The  Russian  blacksmith  kindly  received  us  in  his 
home,  as  did  also  Mr.  Grinochin,  the  agent  of 
Mr.  Batouiefif,  whom  we  had  known  in  Kalgan, 
and  who  was  always  friendly  and  generous. 

Mr.  Griznochin  offered  to  Dr.  Murdock  a good 
camel-cart,  to  ride  in  to  Kiachta.  Afterward  he 
loaned  three  others  to  Mrs.  Lundquist,  Mrs. 
Oberg  and  Mrs.  Soderbom.  All  were  most  happy 
to  accept  this  favor,  and  get  rid  of  the  wretched 
ox-carts.  While  the  kindness  thus  shown  us 

1 According  to  local  usage,  that  part  only  is  called  Urga, 
and  the  Consulate  and  Chinese  business  city  are  called  by 
their  own  special  names. 


252 


A Flight  for  Life 


Carts  for  Transporting  Wool. — Kalgan 


In  the  “ House  Beautiful” 


253 


merited  our  true  gratitude,  it  was  pleasant  to 
know  that  we  were  requiting  the  favor,  by  having 
our  camels  haul  the  carts  to  a place  of  safety  in 
Siberia,  where  the  Boxers  could  not  destroy  them. 

In  Urga  we  bought  bread  made  by  the  Russian 
women ; and,  although  it  was  sour  and  dark,  we 
relished  it  as  those  only  can  whose  appetites  have 
been  whetted  in  a desert. 

We  had  a pleasant  interview  with  the  consul- 
general,  in  which  he  told  us  that  he  was  making 
arrangements  for  our  safe  conduct,  and  assured  us 
that  we  should  meet  with  no  dangers  between  Urga 
and  Kiachta.  Doubtless  he  did  much  for  us,  and 
a word  from  him  to  the  governor  at  Kiachta  prob- 
ably saved  our  lives  at  the  border  line ; but  the 
condition  of  the  country  was  such  that  our  appre- 
hensions could  not  be  completely  allayed. 

The  Mongols  who  had  traveled  with  us  were  an 
interesting  company.  The  most  efficient  in  busi- 
ness, a bright  young  man,  and  very  trustworthy, 
was  Munghe,  whose  name  means  “Eternal.”  He 
was  clear-headed,  prompt  in  action,  as  well  as 
faithful.  The  man  most  associated  with  him  in 
work,  and  in  caring  for  the  pack-camels,  was 
Badza,  who  was  always  obliging,  and  a good 
worker,  but  too  much  addicted  to  strong  drink. 


254 


A Flight  for  Life 


Sera  Ot,  or  “Morning  Star,”  was  a frisky  young 
fellow  a few  years  ago,  but  has  sobered  down  under 
the  responsibilities  of  mature  life.  He  used  to  say, 
with  delight,  that  he  was  a “Jesus  man,”  or  Chris- 
tian, when  he  was  driving  a cow  and  calf  past  the 
. custom-house,  seeing  that  by  saying  this  he  could 
avail  himself  of  the  privileges  granted  to  foreigners, 
and  avoid  paying  duty.  His  chief  fault  was  that 
of  occasionally  drinking  wine. 

His  father,  who  was  Mr.  Sprague’s  cart-driver, 
never  seemed  at  all  trustworthy,  and  was  allowed 
to  go  with  us  as  an  accommodation  to  “Morning 
Star,”  and  because,  in  our  haste  to  leave  Hara  Oso, 
a sufficient  number  of  satisfactory  men  could  not 
be  found. 

Yatarawa  was  a small  young  man,  and  therefore, 
according  to  Oriental  custom,  the  hardest  work  was 
put  upon  him.  Besides  doing  the  same  work  as 
the  others,  he  was  our  servant  in  cooking,  and  a 
servant  of  all  the  drivers.  In  tending  the  fire  and 
washing  dishes,  he  was  indispensable.  His  con- 
stant good  temper  was  a joy  to  us  all.  The  other 
drivers  were  lamas,  with  shaven  heads  and  yellow 
gowns.  One  of  these  was  the  man  sent  by  Mr. 
Larson  to  welcome  the  Oberg  party. 

With  many  regrets  we  bade  these  men  “Fare- 


In  the  “House  Beautiful” 


255 


well,”  as  they  went  through  the  ceremony  of  start- 
ing for  Hara  Oso.  The  next  day  we  met  them  on 
the  street  in  Urga,  where  they  doubtless  waited  to 
obtain  employment  as  guides  and  servants  for 
some  caravan  going  south.1  There  were  many 
Chinese  merchants  fleeing  southward,  to  escape 
from  the  impending  war  at  Urga,  and  we  thought 
that  with  some  of  them  our  men  might  earn  good 
wages. 

One  evening  we  attended  services  in  the  little 
Greek  church  of  the  consulate.-  The  students 
sang  chants,  the  priests  recited  prayers,  and  burned 
incense  before  the  beautiful  pictures,  while  another 
man  cared  for  the  lighted  candles,  and  the  wor- 
shipers knelt  and  crossed  themselves  in  prayer. 

Of  the  six  men  hired  to  go  north  from  Urga, 
two  were  Buriats.  One  was  a very  pleasant  and 
helpful  giant.  The  other  was  short,  slightly  lame, 
clad  in  threadbare  clothes  of  Russian  style,  and 
had  the  features  and  manner  of  an  Irishman.  As 
these  men  spoke  both  Russian  and  Mongolian, 
they  were  of  service  as  interpreters.  The  others 

1 In  1901  we  learned  that  they  did  not  find  employment, 
and  that,  when  they  were  near  “Stolen  Horse  Camp,”  they 
were  robbed  of  their  horses  and  all  of  their  baggage;  only 
the  thieves,  at  their  earnest  entreaty,  gave  them  two  or 
three  worn-out  horses,  which  the  seven  men  might  ride  in 
turn. 


256  A Flight  for  Life 

were  not  so  noticeable,  and  were  with  us  only  a 
few  days. 

While  in  Urga  the  cooking  committees  had  no 
rest  from  their  labors.  Our  appetites  showed  no 
signs  of  abating.  The  caravan  accountant  had  to 
post  the  accounts,  and  make  a preliminary  state- 
ment. The  drivers  came,  and  refitted  the  saddles 
to  the  camels.  We  took  eleven  horses  to  the 
Mongolian  city,  and  had  them  shod.  Our  trunks, 
repacked,  were  weighed  in  the  consulate  yard 
with  a Russian  spring  balance,  that  showed  how 
many  poot  each  weighed.  (A  poot  is  thirty-six 
pounds.)  The  consul-general  viewed  our  prepara- 
tions from  the  second-story  window  of  his  resi- 
dence, and  sent  us  a gift  of  Moscow  candy  “for  the 
children.”  There  was  too  much  for  them,  and 
each  of  us  received  a large  portion,  sufficient  to 
cheer  us  for  several  days. 

The  grass  in  the  Urga  valley  is  devoured  by  so 
many  animals  that  our  horses  and  camels  were 
injured  more  by  grazing  there  than  they  would 
have  been  by  traveling  the  same  number  of  days 
in  the  desert.  The  horses  looked  as  if  they  had 
been  in  constant  use.  The  camels  especially  were 
poor  and  thin,  and  we  had  to  reduce  the  weight  of 
our  baggage  as  much  as  possible,  giving  or  throw- 


In  the  “ House  Beautiful” 


25  7 


ing  away  things  which  were  of  some  value.  Mr. 
Larson  gave  his  baby  carriage  to  the  secretary  of 
the  consulate,  and  his  bicycle  to  the  Russian 
blacksmith.  Both  articles  were  in  need  of  repairs, 
and  were  worth  repairing.  Part  of  our  Gobi  stones 
had  to  be  thrown  away.  Four  of  the  camels  were 
not  fit  to  carry  burdens.  Enormous  sores  devel- 
oped on  their  backs,  which,  when  treated  with 
antiseptics,  were  relieved  only  in  part.  The  poor 
creatures  were  really  worn  out,  and  had  to  be  led 
away  from  Urga,  and  left  to  rest  in  some  place 
where  there  was  better  grass.1  To  be  merciful  to 
the  other  camels,  and  enable  them  to  travel  a little 
faster,  we  hired  seven  ox-carts  to  haul  our  trunks 
to  Kiachta,  and  put  on  the  good  camels  only  the 
two  tents,  rolls  of  bedding  and  supplies  of  food 
that  were  needed  for  the  journey. 

How  much  dickering,  hard  work  and  unavoida- 
ble delay  were  involved  in  these  preparations  can 
be  realized  only  by  those  who  have  visited  Oriental 
lands.  It  has  been  said  that  China  is  a good  place 
to  learn  patience.  We  found  that  the  same  is  true 
of  the  land  of  the  Tartars. 

While  at  Urga,  we  heard  that  Messrs.  Friedstrom 

1 They  were  sold  long  afterward  for  ninety  rubles,  of 
which  gold  $14.40  was  paid  to  the  American  Board  as  its 
share. 


A Flight  for  Life 


258 

and  Suber,  Swedish  missionaries,  were  to  arrive 
there  August  6.  Circumstances  did  not  allow 
11s  to  wait  for  them.  They  had  spent  the  preceding 
winter  in  Uliassutai,  a city  five  hundred  and  forty 
miles  west  of  Urga.  In  the  spring  they  went  south, 
to  go  to  Kui  Hua  Ch’eng ; but  hearing  of  the 
Boxer  riots  there,  they  turned  north,  and  were  try- 
ing to  reach  Urga.  Nastegard  had  received  a letter 
from  them.  Our  anxiety  for  them  continued  until 
the  end  of  the  year,  when  we  learned  that  Mr. 
Friedstrom,  after  terrible  sufferings  in  crossing  the 
desert  alone,  had  reached  Kiachta. 

A letter  to  friends  in  America  gave  some  of  the 
details.  He  and  Mr.  Suber  had  gone  to  Mr.  Sten- 
berg's  mission  station,  north  of  the  Ordus  desert. 
Everything  had  been  looted  or  destroyed,  the  mis- 
sionaries— three  gentlemen  and  three  ladies — had 
wandered  about  for  twenty  days,  begging  their  food 
from  tent  to  tent,  and  afterward  returned  to  their 
desolate  station.  Then  the  Mongol  chief  had  taken 
them  to  his  own  village,  saying  that  he  would  pro- 
tect them,  and  would  try  to  recover  their  property. 
Going  thither,  Mr.  Friedstrom  waited  with  the 
camels  at  some  distance/  while  Mr.  Suber  went 

1 This  was  necessary,  for  there  would  be  no  good  grass 
near  the  village,  because  the  animals  there  would  keep  it 
eaten  short. 


In  the  “House  Beautiful ” 


259 


into  the  encampment  to  bring  out  the  other  mis- 
sionaries. After  waiting  sixteen  days,  Mr.  Fried- 
strom  sent  a trustworthy  Mongol  servant  to  in- 
quire what  was  the  matter.  On  returning  he 
reported  that  all  the  missionaries  were  dead,  and 
that  Suber  had  been  cut  to  pieces  as  soon  as  he 
entered  the  village, — but  that  the  chief  still  affirmed 
that  all  were  with  him,  and  were  enjoying  his  pro- 
tection. “Furthermore,”  said  the  servant,  “twenty 
men  are  coming  now  to  kill  you,  and  I dare  not 
go  with  you  any  longer.” 

So  they  bade  each  other  an  affectionate  farewell, 
and  Friedstrom  put  a little  food  and  clothing  on  a 
camel,  and  started  to  cross  the  desert  of  Gobi 
alone. 

He  was  followed  several  days  by  men  who  wanted 
to  kill  him,  but  who  were  deterred  by  his  firing  a 
revolver  in  the  air.  Both  he  and  the  camel  became 
so  exhausted  that  he  often  thought  it  was  hardly 
worth  while  to  try  to  pull  through.  However,  at 
last  he  reached  Urga,  and  the  consul-general  gave 
him  money,  and  helped  him  to  go  to  Siberia.  He 
found  employment  as  foreman  at  the  gold-mines, 
where  he  was  able  not  only  to  earn  his  support, 
but  also  to  do  some  missionary  work  among  the 
Mongols. 


CHAPTER  XXV 


OVER  THE  ALTAI S AND  FAR  AWAY 

Ho  for  Siberia ! On  August  3 our  caravan 
left  Urga.  Thanks  were  expressed  for  the  favors 
received  at  the  consulate,  and  farewells  were  said. 
It  was  not  a pleasant  thought  that  we  were  leaving 
those  kind  friends  and  hospitable  quarters  to 
travel  among  a hostile  people  and  sleep  again  on 
the  ground.  A Cossack  escorted  us  out  through 
the  Mongolian  city.  A policeman  was  sent  by  the 
Mongol  mandarin,  at  the  request  of  the  consul- 
general,  to  give  us  official  recognition,  secure  for 
us  wood  and  milk  at  the  government  post  stations, 
and  convey  a Mongolian  letter  in  our  favor  to  the 
mandarin  near  Kiachta.  This  policeman  did  a 
good  business ; for  we  paid  for  everything  received, 
but  have  no  idea  that  he  paid  for  anything.  In  fact, 
at  the  post  stations  where  we  did  not  wish  to  buy 
sheep,  he  doubtless  told  the  local  officials  that  they 
must  give  him  the  value  of  the  sheep  in  silver,  and 
succeeded  in  getting  it, — for  such  is  the  custom  in 
the  Chinese  empire. 


260 


Over  the  Altais  and  Far  Away  261 

At  noon  we  rested  on  the  border  of  a forest.  To 
wander  among  the  fragrant  pine-trees  was  a pleas- 
ure seldom  enjoyed  in  China  and  never  in  Gobi. 
The  mountains,  valleys,  clouds,  rivulets  and  wild- 
flowers  made  a most  delightful  scene.  The  road 
was  bordered  with  little  heaps  of  stones,  marking 
the  bounds  within  which  common  people  must  not 
intrude,  when  the  Living  Buddha  should  travel 
this  road  a few  days  later,  to  attend  the  great  feast. 

On  breaking  camp,  Mr.  Williams  had  a second 
fall  from  his  horse,  but  fortunately  was  not  in- 
jured. We  went  up  a long  hill,  on  the  summit  of 
which  there  were  forest-trees  and  exquisite  wild- 
flowers.  The  carts  with  difficulty  descended  the 
steep  road  beyond  the  ridge.  We  had  crossed  the 
Altai  mountains, — the  backbone  of  the  continent. 
Shortly  after,  we  stopped  near  a Mongol  village,  at 
“Roaring  Brook  Camp.” 

The  next  morning  our  way  led  through  a broad 
valley.  The  stream  flowed  north,  on  its  course  to 
Lake  Baikal  and  the  Arctic  Ocean.  The  following 
day,  three  hundred  and  fifty  Cossacks  marched 
past  us,  all  mounted,  wearing  white  caps  and 
blouses,  and  armed  with  good  rifles.  We  welcomed 
them  with  hurrahs,  and  poured  tea  for  the  officers, 
some  of  whom  were  fine-looking  men.  The  troops 


262 


A Flight  for  Life 


were  followed  by  a hundred  small  carts,  carrying 
stores  and  ammunition,  and  in  the  front  of  the 
line  were  two  large  carts  marked  with  the  Red 
Cross.  We  rejoiced  at  the  emblems  of  Christianity 
and  civilization  that  were  going  down  into  the  old 
Chinese  empire. 

As  the  carts  went  past  our  camels,  which  were 
grazing,  one  of  the  camels  became  frightened,  his 
pack-saddle  turned  under  his  body,  which  alarmed 
him  still  more,  and,  with  the  saddle  dangling  be- 
neath him,  and  going  to  pieces,  he  ran  in  and  out 
among  the  Russian  carts,  rapidly  vanquishing  a 
whole  host  of  them.  Mr.  Larson  remarked  : “If  the 
Boxers  should  come  to  attack  us,  all  that  I need 
to  do  is  to  let  loose  a camel  among  them,  and 
they  will  be  defeated.” 

The  coming  of  the  soldiers  terrified  the  natives, 
so  that  they  dared  not  refuse  to  give  what  we 
wanted  and  brought  cartloads  of  fire-wood  to  our 
camp  with  the  utmost  promptness. 

Two  days  later  we  reached  the  Hara  Gol,  or 
Black  River,  where  there  was  a Russian  ferry-boat. 
It  was  held  by  a cable,  anchored  quite  a way  up  the 
river,  and  with  a little  pushing  and  careful  steering 
the  craft  was  carried  across  the  stream  by  the  force 
of  the  current  pressing  against  its  side.  The  water 


I 


Over  the  Altais  and  Far  Away  263 

was  clear,  and  the  current  very  strong.  A few  of 
our  number  had  a good  swim.  Some  of  the  horses, 
with  their  fetters  on,  went  into  the  river  to  drink, 
sank  in  the  quicksand,  and  were  nearly  drowned. 
After  having  been  distressed  by  the  lack  of  water 
in  the  desert,  it  was  a joy  to  see  such  an  abundant 
supply.  Our  lunch  on  its  bank  might  have  seemed 
like  a picnic,  if  we  had  not  been  traveling  in  earnest, 
very  weary,  and  not  yet  out  of  danger. 

Going  on,  we  camped  before  a mountain  which 
resembled  Cock-Crow  mountain  in  China.  As  the 
mosquitoes  were  at  their  best,  and  seemed  to  think 
that  the  place  belonged  to  them,  the  place  was 
called  “Mosquito  Camp."’ 

The  next  day  we  went  to  “Business  Session 
Camp.”  After  dinner  we  held  a business  meeting, 
to  decide  upon  the  method  of  dividing  the  expenses 
of  the  caravan.  It  was  agreed  that  nothing  should 
be  charged  for  the  food  or  transportation  of  the 
children,  and  no  difference  should  be  made  on  ac- 
count of  more  or  less  baggage.  As  Mr.  Nastegard 
had  his  own  horse,  and  could  go  much  faster  with- 
out the  caravan,  and  as  we  were  dependent  upon 
him  for  speaking  Russian,  he  was  to  pay  only  for 
his  food.  By  mutual  concessions,  conflicting  in- 
terests were  compromised,  and  it  was  decided  that, 


264 


A Flight  for  Life 


in  addition  to  one  share  for  each  adult,  one  share 
should  be  charged  for  hauling  each  cart.  In  this 
way  the  American  Board  party,  with  six  persons 
and  two  carts,  was  charged  eight  shares.  The 
Larson  party,  which  had  six  adults  and  three  carts, 
were  charged  nine  shares.  The  Oberg  party,  hav- 
ing four  adults  and  one  cart,  would  have  had  five 
shares,  but  several  circumstances  led  us  to  reduce 
their  portion  of  the  expense:  first,  they  joined  the 
caravan  half  a month  later  than  the  others,  and  so 
should  be  charged  less  for  board;  secondly,  the 
Oberg  cart  was  not  hauled  through  the  desert  by  a 
caravan  camel,  but  by  Mr.  Oberg’s  own  horses ; 
and  thirdly,  he  drove  all  the  way  to  Urga,  and 
saved  the  expense  of  a driver.  For  these  reasons, 
we  charged  his  party  only  three  shares ; but  after 
the  accounts  were  settled  in  Kiachta,  they  felt  that 
they  had  been  treated  too  generously,  and  paid,  as 
a rebate  to  the  other  members  of  the  caravan,  the 
sum  of  one  hundred  rubles,  equal  to  about  fifty 
dollars  of  American  money.  The  “Fagerholm 
party”  of  course  had  to  pay  only  one  share.  On 
settling  the  accounts,  one  share  amounted  to 
rubles  147.67,  equal  to  about  $59.07  gold.  This 
represents  the  cost  of  our  journey  from  Hara  Oso 
to  Kiachta.  If  we  had  not  traveled  under  com- 


Over  the  Altais  and  Far  Away  265 

pulsion,  and  started  in  haste,  the  expense  might 
have  been  considerably  less. 

A difficulty  arose  afterward  as  tp  rates  of  ex- 
change, for  at  Urga  silver  was  changed  at  the  high 
rate  of  1.85  rubles  per  tael;  but  in  Kiachta,  owing 
to  the  increase  of  war  excitement,  and  the  anxiety 
of  the  Chinese  merchants  to  flee  with  their  valua- 
bles to  their  own  land,  the  rate  was  2.20  rubles  per 
tael.  The  caravan  expenses  had  been  paid  chiefly 
in  Chinese  bullion,  but  the  accounts  had  to  be  set- 
tled in  rubles.  Even  the  money  received  by  cable 
in  Kiachta  did  not  give  us  a true  rate,  but  showed 
what  the  bank  would  allow  us  for  pounds,  shillings 
and  pence,  after  deducting  their  commission,  as 
well  as  the  cost  of  bringing  the  money  from  Lon- 
don. We  agreed  to  use  the  rate  of  1.85;  but, 
strange  as  it  may  seem,  in  all  our  journey  through 
Siberia  and  Russia,  we  never  learned  the  exact 
value  of  a ruble. 

As  we  went  on  our  way  again,  the  weather  was 
showery,  but  the  showers  went  away  from  us.  The 
camels  traveled  faster  than  usual,  and  the  fine 
moonlight  in  the  evening  was  a great  help. 

The  following  day  was  terribly  hot.  We  spent 
the  noon  at  “Brook  Meadow  Camp,”  where  the 
grass  was  tall,  and  there  were  trees  and  bushes 


266 


A Flight  for  Life 


overhanging  the  stream.  Between  the  hills  and  the 
woods  not  a breath  of  wind  could  reach  us.  Mr. 
Sandberg  and  I,  with  Mrs.  Soderbom  and  Mrs. 
Lundquist,  were  the  cooking  committee.  The 
heat  and  smoke  of  the  fire,  added  to  the  scorch- 
ing heat  of  the  sun,  were  almost  killing;  yet  this 
was  no  worse  than  what  others  often  had  suf- 
fered. 

Afterward  we  went  through  a magnificent  pine 
forest.  How  we  enjoyed  the  sight  of  the  great 
trees,  their  yellow  branches,  the  verdure  above, 
the  shade  below,  and  the  carpet  of  pine  needles ! 
Yet  we  were  not  devoid  of  utilitarian  ideas, 
and  were  glad  to  replenish  our  supply  of  fire- 
wood. 

The  country  beyond  was  almost  devoid  of  grass, 
as  no  rain  had  fallen  for  a year.  This  was  the  case 
all  the  way  to  the  frontier  of  Siberia,  a distance  of 
fifty-four  miles.  We  passed  a small  river  called 
“Bayin  Gol,”  (Rich  River,)  and  spent  the  night 
at  “High  Hill  Camp,”  which  seemed  to  be  on  the 
roof  of  the  world.  Mr.  Oberg’s  camel,  poor  fel- 
low, could  hardly  go  up  the  long,  steep  hill.  It  was 
worn  out  by  the  journey,  and  heavily  handicapped. 
The  Russian  camel-carts,  while  more  comfortable 
for  the  occupants  than  the  ox-carts  used  before, 


Over  the  Altais  and  Far  Away 


267 


were  much  heavier,  and  harder  for  the  camels  to 
draw.  With  their  diminished  strength,  an  uphill 
road,  even  when  not  slippery  with  mud,  made  their 
task  very  difficult. 

The  next  day  we  came  to  the  Yiiro  Gol,  the 
largest  river  that  I have  seen  in  Mongolia.  The 
Russian  ferry-boat  had  to  cross  the  river  several 
times,  and  an  hour  and  a half  elapsed  before  all 
of  our  caravan  had  crossed.  Then  a drizzling-  rain 
began.  We  camped  on  high  land  by  the  river, 
and  our  animals  had  good  grass  in  the  meadow 
near  by.  The  rain  was  specially  unpleasant  for  the 
cooking  committee,  who  had  to  work  outside  the 
tent,  but  were  protected  by  waterproof  cloaks.  The 
rain  was  so  great  a blessing  to  the  inhabitants 
of  the  country  that  we  rejoiced  in  the  midst  of  all 
our  discomforts. 

The  train  of  ox-carts  carrying  our  trunks  over- 
took us  at  this  place,  as  at  several  others  previous- 
ly. I busied  myself  with  posting  the  caravan  ac- 
counts, and  we  all  passed  a wretched  afternoon  in 
a crowded  tent.  A number  of  Mongols  helped  to 
fill  the  limited  space.  Some  came  from  curiosity, 
some  for  shelter  from  the  -rain,  and  others  to  buy 
or  to  sell.  Their  incessant  talking  made  sleep 
impossible.  Yet,  in  all  our  trials,  we  recognized 


268 


A Flight  for  Life 


that  a kind  Providence  had  been  watching  over  us, 
and  had  brought  us  far  on  our  journey  in  peace, — 
and  we  were  thankful. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


FIRST  EXPERIENCES  IN  KIACHTA 

We  were  nearing  Siberia.  On  Saturday,  August 
eleven,  very  early  in  the  morning,  I started  with 
Mr.  Nastegard  to  ride  rapidly  to  Kiachta,  find  a 
hotel  in  which  our  whole  “combination”  could 
stop,  get  any  mail  that  might  have  arrived,  and  in- 
quire whether  our  money  had  come  in  answer  to 
our  telegram. 

The  distance  was  thirty-three  miles.  Going  up 
a valley  ten  miles,  in  which,  years  before,  Mr. 
Nastegard  had  had  a serious  encounter  with 
wolves,  we  crossed  a ridge,  and  went  on  until  we 
reached  a Russian  post  station,  close  to  a great 
pine  forest.  The  road  was  muddy  and  slippery, 
from  the  rain  of  the  previous  day.  The  post  station 
consisted  of  a square  stockade,  with  its  walls  of 
upright  logs  twelve  feet  high,  enclosing  a few 
Mongol  tents.  Here  lived  a family  of  Russians, 
with  plenty  of  room  for  visitors,  and  a shed  for 
horses.  Little  Russian  children  were  running 
about.  The  hostess  brought  us  tea  and  cakes  and 
269 


270 


A Flight  for  Life 


a samovar  of  hot  water,  which  were  much  enjoyed, 
but  hardly  could  take  the  place  of  a square  meal. 

Traveling  on  ten  miles  through  the  forest,  we 
passed  a clearing,  at  one  side  of  which,  in  1894,  Mr. 
Nastegard  and  Mr.  Larson  had  spent  a night 
among  robbers.  That  was  at  the  time  of  the  war 
with  Japan.  The  mandarin  in  Urga  had  learned 
that  a Japanese  spy  was  there,  and  gave  orders 
that  any  foreigner  found  in  Chinese  clothing 
should  be  arrested  and  killed.  These  missionaries 
wore  only  Chinese  clothes,  and  were  forced  to  ride 
in  haste  to  Kiachta,  to  buy  Russian  clothes.  They 
rode  the  distance  of  two  hundred  and  ten  miles  in 
two  days  and  the  intervening  night.  On  the  way 
back  to  Urga,  at  nightfall,  they  stopped  at  the  little 
hut  where  the  robbers  lived.  After  they  had  lain 
down  to  sleep,  one  of  the  rascals  hung  up  a gun  on 
the  wall,  in  such  a way  as  to  point  directly  at  the 
head  of  one  of  our  friends.  The  latter  arose,  took 
down  the  gun,  and  lay  down  again ; whereupon  the 
robber  hung  it  once  more  in  the  same  place.  After 
it  had  been  hung  there  the  third  time,  our  breth- 
ren decided  to  watch  by  turns,  one  of  them  each 
half  of  the  night.  In  their  weary  condition,  this  was 
not  easy  to  do.  They  had  not  much  which  the 
robbers  could  steal,  but  knew  that  they  wanted  to 


First  Experiences  in  Kiachta 


271 


steal  their  horses.  Fortunately  the  missionaries 
escaped  without  harm  or  loss. 

Shortly  after  Mr.  Nastegard  and  I emerged  from 
the  forest,  on  going  over  a low  hill,  we  saw  the 
white  church  and  other  buildings  of  Kiachta  rising 
up  before  us  in  the  distance,  exceedingly  beauti- 
ful to  behold.  To  see  these  symbols  of  Christianity 
and  civilization,  the  place  of  safety  and  the  Mecca 
of  our  pilgrimage,  toward  which,  in  fear  and  weari- 
ness, in  hunger  and  thirst,  we  had  been  hurrying 
for  two  long  months,  was  a joy  too  great  for 
words. 

On  nearing  the  frontier,  we  found  the  Chinese 
country  patrolled  by  Russian  scouts,  who  rode  up 
to  us  and  inquired  who  we  were  and  where  we 
were  going.  With  Mr.  Nastegard  speaking  Rus- 
sian, and  our  passports  showing  that  we  were  offi- 
cially recognized  by  the  consul-general  in  Urga, 
it  would  seem  as  if  we  might  have  crossed  the 
border  promptly;  but  that  would  have  been  too 
good  for  the  Orient.  We  were  delayed  five  hours. 
One  of  the  scouts  remained  with  us,  and  the  other 
rode  of?  furiously,  to  consult  his  officer.  Four 
more  soldiers  came,  and  after  talking  and  seeing 
our  passports  two  of  them  rode  away,  while  the 
others  stayed  to  watch  us.  This  maneuver  was 


272 


A Flight  for  Life 


performed  several  times,  more  soldiers  coming  each 
time,  among  whom  were  two  officers,  one  of  whom 
commanded  one  hundred  and  fifty  soldiers.  We 
learned  that  all  the  roads  leading  into  Siberia  were 
being  watched  with  equal  care. 

As  we  were  tired  and  thirsty,  we  wanted  to  go 
to  a Mongol  tent  and  drink  tea;  but,  because  the 
tent  was  nearer  to  Kiachta,  the  soldiers  forbade 
our  going.  We  went  there,  nevertheless.  Mr. 
Nastegard  was  willing  to  show  the  Buriat  soldiers 
that  we  did  not  fear  them.  If  we  had  been  Chinese 
or  Mongols,  disobeying  their  orders,  I suppose 
they  would  have  shot  us.  After  drinking  salt  tea, 
and  eating  Mongol  cheese,  both  of  which  were  de- 
licious to  us  in  our  exhausted  condition,  Mr. 
Nastegard  preached  in  Mongolian  to  the  women 
in  the  tent,  and  to  the  neighbors  who  came  to  see 
us.  The  long  summer  day  was  drawing  to  its 
close,  and  the  hills  and  plain,  the  grasses  waving 
in  the  sunset  glow,  and  the  beautiful  city,  so  near 
and  yet  so  far,  were  too  great  an  attraction  to 
allow  of  our  staying  indoors. 

Not  far  from  the  door  of  the  tent,  I found  in 
the  grass  a large  six-shooter,  containing  four  cart- 
ridges, three  of  which  had  not  been  used.  The 
question  arose : “Whose  property  was  it  ?”  Prob- 


First  Experiences  in  Kiachta 


273 


ably  it  belonged  to  the  people  living  there,  but 
a Russian  soldier  might  have  dropped  it.  The 
second  question,  “Shall  vve  give  it  to  the  Mon- 
gols?” was  more  difficult  to  answer.  The  woman 
living  in  the  tent  said  that  it  was  hers,  and  that  her 
son  had  lost  it  only  a few  days  before.  We  re- 
membered that  it  was  war-time,  and  that,  if  we 
gave  it  to  the  woman,  the  Russian  soldiers  who 
were  watching  us  might  regard  us  as  arming  their 
enemy.  As  Mr.  Nastegard  was  a missionary  to 
the  Mongols,  he  had  a keen  sense  of  their  rights, 
and  his  thought  was  that  we  ought  to  give  it  to 
the  woman.  I protested  against  doing  so,  for  fear 
it  would  be  misunderstood  by  the  Russians,  on 
whose  favor  we  were  now  dependent  for  the  lives 
of  all  in  our  caravan.  At  length  he  yielded  to  my 
arguments. 

By  this  time  the  soldiers  had  become  unwilling  to 
receive  the  revolver,  apparently  supposing  that 
it  was  part  of  some  deep  plot  to  injure  them.  After 
much  urging,  we  induced  one  of  them  to  take  it. 
He  gave  it  to  his  officer,  and  he  to  the  higher  offi- 
cer. One  of  the  native  women  did  her  best  to  get 
the  weapon,  crying  and  screaming,  and  throwing 
herself  around  on  the  ground ; but  the  officer,  who 
was  a fine-looking  and  intelligent  mar,  merely 


274 


A Flight  for  Life 


looked  on  good-naturedly,  and  afterward  said  that 
he  should  give  it  to  the  police  in  Kiachta,  and  that, 
if  it  were  really  hers,  the  police  would  give  it  to 
her  in  a few  days.  This  actually  proved  to  be  the 
case.  After  a number  of  days,  to  our  surprise,  the 
woman  was  called  to  our  hotel,  and  the  revolver 
was  given  to  her. 

After  the  woman  had  finished  her  frantic  en- 
treaties, as  the  darkness  began  to  gather,  and  twi- 
light was  changing  to  moonlight,  the  two  officers 
and  thirteen  soldiers,  all  mounted,  escorted  Mr. 
Nastegard  and  me  through  the  Chinese  city  of 
Maimaicheng,  across  the  frontier,  and  into  Ki- 
achta. There  the  soldiers  stopped  at  their  bar- 
racks, but  the  officer  in  command  went  with  us  two 
miles  beyond  to  Troits  Kosavski,  which  is  much 
the  larger  place,  and  is  really  the  business  part  of 
Kiachta.  He  took  us  to  a hotel,  which  we  called 
the  “First  Bug  Hotel,”  but  the  people  did  not  want 
to  receive  us,  because  they  feared  that  we  were 
Boxers.  Besides,  the  women  declared  that  the 
hotel-keeper  was  not  at  home.  The  repeated  com- 
mand of  the  officer  compelled  them  to  open  the 
gate  and  let  us  in. 

After  we  had  entered  the  house,  both  of  the 
women  recognized  Mr.  Nastegard  as  an  old  friend, 


First  Experiences  tn  Kiachta 


275 


and  the  cordiality  with  which  they  welcomed  us 
can  be  imagined  better  than  described.  A most 
satisfactory  dinner  was  set  before  us,  and  the  even- 
ing was  spent  in  talking  of  the  Russians  in  Urga, 
of  Chinese  affairs,  and  of  our  journey  through  the 
desert.  Mr.  Nastegard  translated  for  my  benefit, 
and  I began  making  a collection  of  Russian  words. 

A delightful  evening  was  followed  by  a night  of 
misery,  for  the  many  small  inhabitants  of  our  room 
allowed  us  no  rest.  The  house  was  made  of  logs, 
as  are  most  of  the  buildings  in  Siberia,  and  we  have 
been  informed  that  not  a few  of  them  are  occupied. 
In  fact,  if  the  little  creatures  once  got  in,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  see  how  they  could  be  expelled  from  walls 
and  floors  so  full  of  cracks. 

Sunday  morning  came,  and  the  bells  of  four 
churches  rang,  but  we  were  too  busy  to  attend  the 
services.  After  going  to  the  post-office  and  tel- 
egraph-office, and  learning  that  no  letter  nor 
telegram  had  come  for  any  of  us,  we  hunted  for  a 
hotel,  and  found  only  the  “Limboski”  large  enough 
for  our  caravan.  The  terms  were  very  reasonable, 
only  twenty-five  rubles  (twelve  dollars)  per  day  for 
nine  rooms  and  the  board  of  twenty-four  people. 
According  to  Siberian  custom,  candles,  tea,  sugar 
and  milk  were  to  be  furnished  by  the  guests. 


276 


A Flight  for  Life 


It  required  a long  search  to  find  the  Russo- 
Chinese  bank.  The  many  persons  of  whom  we  in- 
quired seemed  not  to  know  its  location.  The  bank 
was  a new  one,  and  this  fact  may  account  for  its 
not  being  known.  At  last  we  found  it,  located  in 
a back  yard  on  a side  street,  with  no  sign  to  show 
what  it  was.  Again  we  were  informed  that  no 
money  had  come  for  us.  It  was  a great  disappoint- 
ment, for  ten  days  had  elapsed  since  our  telegram 
was  sent  from  Urga. 

Having  had  only  tea  and  cakes  for  breakfast,  and 
no  dinner,  and  our  horses  having  had  no  chance 
to  graze,  the  time  now  being  three  p.m.,  we  were 
anxious  to  reach  the  caravan  quickly.  During  the 
previous  day  our  friends  had  followed  our  route, 
the  camel-carts  crossing  the  ridge  with  great  diffi- 
culty, and,  having  come  through  the  forest  by 
moonlight,  they  encamped  about  midnight  at 
“Pine  Forest  Camp,”  five  miles  southeast  of  Ki- 
achta.  In  the  morning  the  great  white  church 
and  Russian  city  delighted  their  eyes.  A long,  hot 
ride  from  the  bank,  and  a detour  around  a large 
swamp,  brought  Mr.  Nastegard  and  me  to  the 
camp,  where  we  were  fed  bountifully,  and  plied 
with’  questions. 

The  edge  of  the  forest  was  a delightful  place  to 


First  Experiences  in  Kiachta 


2 77 


encamp.  There  were  giant  trees,  young  and  comely 
evergreens,  a carpet  of  pine-needles,  abundance  of 
shade,  good  water,  and  plenty  of  grass  for  the 
animals.  If  we  had  been  out  for  a picnic  we  could 
not  have  found  a pleasanter  place. 

At  sunset  the  Russian  photographer,  Mr.  M. 
B.  Baturina,  came  to  take  our  pictures,  having  mis- 
taken the  time.  We  had  asked  him  to  come  on 
Monday  morning.  At  any  rate,  this  was  too  late 
in  the  day,  and  the  light  was  insufficient  for  taking 
photographs.  His  drunken  servant  made  such  a 
row  that  we  feared  bloodshed  and  were  glad  when 
they  returned  to  the  city. 


Missionary  Caravan  at  Rest 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
CROSSING  THE  FRONTIER 

Monday  morning,  August  13,  was  an  exciting 
time.  We  broke  camp  without  waiting  to  drink 
tea,  and  marched  to  a well  called  in  Mongolian 
“Altang  Bolog,”  Golden  Spring.  This  was  as  near 
the  frontier  as  caravans  were  allowed  to  approach 
without  special  permission.  Here  we  encamped 
and  breakfasted.  Mr.  Nastegard  had  ridden  into 
the  city,  and  called  the  photographer,  who  took 
pictures  of  the  caravan  encamped  and  on  the  march. 
As  our  long  procession  started  to  go  to  the  city, 
Mr.  Larson  as  captain  and  Mr.  Nastegard  as  in- 
terpreter went  with  all  our  passports  to  the  Mongol 
yamen  in  Maimaicheng,  having  been  summoned 
there  to  meet  the  Russian  governor  of  Kiachta. 
The  caravan,  after  going  a short  distance,  stood 
waiting  for  “Moses”  and  “Joshua”  to  return. 

After  coming  back,  Mr.  Nastegard  repeatedly 
and  emphatically  told  us  that  “the  Russian  govern- 
or was  very  kind  to  us”;  but  a long  time  elapsed 
before  we  learned  the  particulars.  The  Mongol 
279 


28o 


A Flight  for  Life 


mandarin,  acting  for  the  Chinese  government, 
tried  to  prevent  our  crossing  the  frontier,  on  the 
plea  of  our  not  having  Mongolian  passports ; but 
the  Russian  governor  came  to  our  rescue,  going 
out  of  his  territory  to  see  the  mandarin,  and  claim- 
ing us  as  his  friends.  He  insisted  on  the  validity 
of  our  Russian  passports,  had  them  immediately 
translated  into  the  Mongolian  language,  and  sent 
his  soldiers  to  guard  us  while  crossing  the  line. 

Thus  our  company  of  missionaries,  after  fleeing 
for  our  lives  two  long  months,  and  enduring  the 
hardships  of  the  desert,  came  near  being  taken 
prisoners  at  last.  The  Boxer  movement  had  spread 
to  the  utmost  confines  of  the  Chinese  empire. 
They  burned  Uliassutai  and  Kuldja,  or  at  least  the 
houses  of  the  foreign  merchants  in  those  cities,  and 
threatened  the  destruction  of  every  place  on  the 
frontier. 

To  the  Russians  we  owe  a debt  of  lifelong  grati- 
tude, for  the  protection  which  they  so  willingly 
gave  us.  On  their  part,  it  was  an  act  of  interna- 
tional courtesy,  and  of  true  kindness,  to  rescue  us 
from  our  enemies,  who  were  the  enemies  of  all 
civilized  nations,  and  were  seeking  to  kill  us  with- 
out cause.  For  this  and  other  favors,  the  Russians 
received  not  only  our  own  profound  thanks,  but 


Crossing  the  Frontier 


281 

also,  after  we  reached  America,  the  formal  and 
hearty  thanks  of  the  United  States  government, 
and  of  the  American  Board. 

On  Saturday,  Mr.  Nastegard  and  I had  learned 
that  the  front  door  of  Siberia  was  not  easy  to  enter, 
and  on  Monday  we  found  that  the  back  door  of 
Mongolia  was  difficult  of  exit.  That  it  was  not 
so  on  Saturday  must  have  been  because  the  “Big 
Man”  had  not  waked  up.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  these  events  occurred  in  war-time.  On 
ordinary  occasions  the  difficulty  would  have  been 
much  less. 

The  border  of  the  two  empires  is  a neutral  strip 
of  land,  two  hundred  feet  wide,  between  Maimai- 
cheng  and  Kiachta.  On  the  one  side  was  China, — it 
looked  and  smelled  so, — and  on  the  other  side  was 
“Holy  Russia.”  A few  Chinese  came  out  to  see  us 
cross  the  border.  No  matter  now,  for  we  were  be- 
yond the  reach  of  the  Boxers.  To  be  at  last  on 
Russian  soil,  in  a land  of  law  and  order,  a country 
thoroughly  policed,  under  a strong  and  civilized 
government,  which  was  both  able  and  willing  to 
protect  us, — the  joy  that  this  gave  to  us  pilgrims 
we  could  read  in  each  other’s  eyes. 

Close  by  the  road  loomed  up  the  beautiful  cathe- 
dral, which  we  had  seen  from  afar.  The  building 


282 


A Flight  for  Life 


was  recently  erected,  at  a cost  of  two  million  rubles. 
Mr.  Nimchiloof,  who  donated  this  money,  had  died 
but  a few  days  before,  and  prayers  were  being  said 
daily  for  his  soul.  We  arrived  just  at  noon  on  one 
of  the  holy  days, — for  it  is  said  that  “the  Russians 
have  three  hundred  holy  days  and  sixty-five  Sab- 
baths in  the  year,” — and,  the  service  having  closed, 
crowds  of  people  were  just  coming  out  of  church. 
There  were  rich  people  riding  in  carriages  with 
fine  horses,  so  unlike  our  Mongol  horses,  and  there 
were  the  poor, — the  women  with  shawls  over  their 
heads,  and  the  men  arrayed  in  caps,  blouses,  and 
trousers  tucked  into  their  high  boots.  Some  of 
the  wealthy  persons  had  known  us  in  Kalgan,  and 
congratulated  us  on  our  arrival.  All  looked  at 
our  caravan  as  an  interesting  and  curious  sight, 
and  such  no  doubt  it  was ; but  the  people  were 
most  interested  in  the  children  in  the  carts,  and 
smiled  at  them,  with  a human  nature  like  our  own. 

After  exchanging  greetings,  we  marched  on  to 
Troits  Kosavski,  and  made  our  temporary  abode 
in  the  Limboski  Hotel.  The  keeper  was  a kind 
and  gentlemanly  man.  The  hotel  was  spacious, 
and  had  four  fairly  good  rooms ; but  the  old  log 
houses  had  an  odor  of  their  own,  and  were  the 
abodes  of  cockroaches  and  of  other  tribes  too 


Crossing  the  Frontier  283 

numerous  to  mention.  Several  of  us  lived  in  the 
office.  Some  had  rooms  in  a musty  little  house  in 
a corner  of  the  yard.  We  had  drawn  lots,  before 
entering  the  city,  to  determine  the  order  in  which 
we  should  choose  our  rooms.  This  was  done  in 
order  to  avoid  delay  and  confusion.  The  musty 
house  had  been  well  aired,  and  seemed  much  better 
on  our  arrival  than  it  proved  to  be.  It  was  un- 
fortunate that  the  sick  children  were  lodged  there. 
The  yard  was  in  an  unsanitary  condition.  Close 
to  the  front  door  of  the  best  house  was  one  of  the 
worst  places.  When  we  in  the  office  had  washed 
our  hands,  we  must  take  the  wash-bowl  down-stairs 
and  outdoors  to  empty  it,  and  bring  up  a bowlful 
of  clean  water. 

Beds,  of  course,  were  not  numerous  enough  for 
our  whole  “combination,”  and  many  slept  on  the 
floor.  The  mattresses  and  blankets  which  we  had 
used  in  the  desert  continued  to  be  a great  com- 
fort. The  floor,  if  clean,  would  have  been  good 
enough,  after  sleeping  on  the  ground  for  sixty 
days ; but  the  small  occupants  claimed  prior  pos- 
session, and  gave  us  no  rest,  until  we  yielded  to 
them  the  disputed  field.  Various  means  were  de- 
vised for  avoiding  them.  I climbed  out  of  a win- 
dow, and  slept  on  a low  and  sloping  roof,  except 


284 


A Flight  for  Life 


when  the  rain  drove  me  in.  On  clear  nights,  it  wras 
a great  pleasure  to  gaze  right  up  at  the  stars. 

The  Russian  food  consisted  of  tea-cakes  for 
breakfast ; soup,  cabbage  and  meat  for  dinner,  and 
more  of  the  same  for  supper ; besides  tea  at  four 
o'clock.  The  samovar,  with  its  plentiful  supply  of 
hot  wTater,  wras  a great  comfort.  We  bought  a 
good  deal  of  boiled  milk,  for  fresh  milk  was  not  to 
be  had.  Yet  the  food  w'as  not  nearly  enough  for 
our  ravenous  appetites,  and  we  often  left  the  table 
unsatisfied.  The  trouble  seems  to  have  been  that 
our  host  had  not  calculated  on  our  having  desert 
appetites.  Considering  how  cheap  the  board  w?as, 
we  got  our  money’s  worth.  In  our  famished  con- 
dition, not  to  have  enough  to  eat  may  have  been  a 
blessing  in  disguise. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 


IN  SIBERIA  THE  LAND  OF  FREEDOM 

“Proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives,  and  the  opening  of  the 
prison  to  them  that  are  bound.” 

Siberia  has  been  called  a prison,  but  we  found 
it  a land  of  freedom.  We  had  as  much  liberty  there 
as  we  have  in  our  own  country. 

As  long  as  we  were  on  the  march  we  had  not 
realized  our  exhausted  condition.  On  reaching 
a place  of  safety  we  partially  collapsed.  To  read 
or  write  seemed  an  intolerable  task.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  rest  a few  days,  sell  our  animals,  settle  the 
caravan  accounts,  and  hire  tarantasses  to  take  us 
to  Lake  Baikal.  These  affairs  took  more  time  than 
we  had  expected,  and  we  spent  fourteen  days  at  the 
Limboski.  However,  we  were  gaining  a valuable 
knowledge  of  Russian  life  and  customs. 

Two  little  boys,  David  and  Jonathan  Lundquist, 
always  thin  and  weak,  started  from  Hara  Oso  with 
the  whooping-cough.  The  other  children  caught 
it,  had  it  lightly,  and  soon  recovered.  The  warm 
285 


286 


A Flight  for  Life 


weather  and  tent  life  were  good  for  them.  But 
the  little  brothers  and  Mrs.  Soderbom’s  baby,  little 
Anna  Elizabeth,  contracted  summer  complaint  in 
the  desert,  and  the  baby  wilted  in  Troits  Kosavski. 
When  the  sickness  assumed  a serious  aspect,  the 
parents  requested  Dr.  Murdock  to  help,  but  it  was 
already  too  late.  A kind  lady,  Mrs.  Ogloffski,  who 
formerly  lived  in  Kalgan,  opened  her  home  to 
Mrs.  Soderbom  and  the  child,  and  Dr.  Murdock 
went  there  to  help.  The  latter,  knowing  that  the 
law  forbade  medical  practice  by  one  not  having  a 
Russian  license,  called  in  the  aid  of  the  Russian 
doctor.  Notwithstanding  all  that  was  done,  the 
dear  child’s  life  could  not  be  saved. 

It  became  necessary  to  inter  the  little  body;  and, 
although  the  Russians  generally  are  not  favorable 
to  Protestants  and  knew  that  we  were  such,  the 
priest  allowed  us  to  bury  the  child  in  consecrated 
ground,  in  the  midst  of  a large  churchyard  full 
of  crosses,  between  the  two  churches  at  the  south 
end  of  the  city.  Both  doctor  and  priest  were 
very  kind.  Mr.  Williams  conducted  a service  in 
the  hotel,  and  also  at  the  cemetery,  where  the 
priest  himself  attended  the  funeral,  as  did  many 
others.  They  expressed  sympathy  for  the  be- 
reaved parents,  just  as  friends  in  Sweden  or 


In  Siberia  the  Land  of  Freedom  287 

America  would  have  done,  and  their  kindliness  was 
most  highly  appreciated.  We  were  thankful  to 
bury  the  child  in  such  a place,  and  amid  such  cir- 
cumstances, rather  than  in  the  wilderness,  where 
it  would  have  been  a prey  to  wolves. 

From  the  place  where  we  stood  during  the  ser- 
vice we  could  see  the  distant  mountains  of  Mon- 
golia, and  the  babe  seemed  to  be  laid  to  rest  on  the 
border  of  the  Promised  Land,  where  she  still  could 
look  back  toward  the  scene  of  her  parents’  labors 
of  love  in  the  old  Chinese  empire.  She  at  least 
had  not  been  taken  by  the  Boxers,  but  was  safe  in 
the  arms  of  Jesus,  the  Friend  of  children,  and  the 
Good  Shepherd. 

Standing  around  the  little  grave,  under  a beau- 
tiful sunset  sky,  we  sang  an  English  and  then  a 
Swedish  hymn.  The  Russians  patiently  listened 
to  the  German  tune  and  the  Swedish  words  for 
“A  mighty  fortress  is  our  God.”  I could  not  help 
fearing  that  the  Protestant  tune  might  give  offense, 
though  surely  no  offense  was  intended.  After  the 
hymn  was  begun,  no  discussion  of  this  point  could 
have  been  made. 

The  money  cabled  from  America  came  shortly 
after  our  arrival,  so  that  our  anxiety  as  to  the 
means  of  going  on  was  relieved.  The  Boston  ca- 


288 


A Flight  for  Life 


blegram,  as  given  us  by  the  Russo-Chinese  bank, 
was  as  follows : — 

‘‘Pay  James  Roberts  three  hundred  English  pounds,  for 
Mr.  Glinmills,  London;  be  so  kind  to  tell  him  he  may  re- 
turn to  Siggin.” 

We  wondered  where  Siggin  wras.  Could  it  be 
Si-ning?  or  Si-ngan?  or  some  other  place  in  China? 
and  were  we  told  to  return  to  the  land  of  the 
Boxers?  Or  was  it  some  place  in  America?  I 
telegraphed  to  St.  Petersburg  to  inquire  where 
"Siggin”  was ; but  ere  long  Mrs.  Sprague  made  a 
happy  guess,  from  internal  evidence,  and  said : “It 
is  Wiggin  ; for  of  course  the  treasurer  of  the 
Board  signed  his  name  to  the  telegram.”  This, 
when  stated,  was  self-evident;  and  we  knew  that  we 
had  permission  to  return  to  our  home  land.  Our 
passports  required  us  to  go  through  and  out  of 
Russia  in  three  months ; and,  after  traveling  all  the 
way  to  Germany,  we  could  not  do  otherwise  than 
go  on  to  America.  To  meet  our  home  friends, 
who  had  endured  a long  and  terrible  suspense  as 
to  our  safety,  would  be  an  unspeakable  joy. 

Still  the  question  of  duty  was  a serious  one,  and 
wre  were  anxious  to  make  no  mistake.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sprague  and  Mr.  Williams  had  been  in  China 
from  seven  to  ten  years,  and  a furlough  for  them 


In  Siberia  the  Land  of  Freedom  289 

was  in  order.  It  was  not  so  with  Dr.  Murdock 
and  myself.  She  very  much  desired  to  go  to 
Tientsin  by  way  of  the  Amur  River  and  Japan,  so 
as  to  rejoin  our  Mission ; but  there  was  war  on  the 
Amur,  the  Chinese  controlled  twenty  miles  of  the 
river,  the  railroad  in  that  direction  was  monopo- 
lized by  the  army,  and  officials  repeatedly  told  us 
that  it  would  be  impossible  to  go  to  the  East.  The 
imminent  danger  of  war  between  Russia  and  Japan 
also  complicated  the  question. 

On  August  19  we  heard  of  the  capture  of 
Peking  by  the  allied  troops,  but  the  news  was 
contradicted  a day  or  two  later.  On  the  twentieth, 
wishing  to  let  our  Mission  know  where  we  were, 
and  to  get  their  advice,  we  sent  this  telegram : — 

“Wilder,  Tientsin. 

Spragues  Williams  America.  Murdock  desires  return 
Tientsin.  Roberts  undecided.  Advise.” 

Five  days  afterward  this  message  was  returned 
from  Chita,  a city  east  of  Kiachta,  for  explanation. 
Evidently  the  officers  had  not  found  the  words 
Spragues,  Williams,  Murdock  or  Roberts  in  their 
dictionaries.  As  martial  law  prevailed,  it  was 
right  that  they  should  know  that  we  were  not 
sending  improper  information  by  means  of  code 
words.  They  accepted  our  explanations  and 


290 


A Flight  for  Life 


promised  that  the  dispatch  should  be  forwarded 
without  delay.  After  having  reached  America,  we 
learned  that  Dr.  Porter  received  our  telegram  in 
Tientsin  about  September  first,  and,  after  consult- 
ing the  Mission,  sent  a reply,  advising  us  all  to  go 
to  America. 

Mr.  Sunitson,  of  the  Russo-Chinese  bank,  re- 
peatedly invited  us  to  drink  tea  and  dine  at  his 
home.  Mrs.  Sunitson  was  equally  kind,  and  wished 
to  give  free  passage  to  Irkutsk  on  their  steamships 
to  any  one  of  us  who  might  have  no  money  to  pay. 
expenses ; but,  as  our  money  had  come,  none  of  us 
needed  to  accept  this  favor.  Miss  Jane  Walker,  a 
Scotch  lady  in  Mrs.  Sunitson’s  home,  translated 
for  us,  and  visited  us  at  the  hotel.  Mr.  Nastegard 
was  indefatigable  in  speaking  Russian  and  tran- 
sacting business  for  us,  each  of  our  seventeen 
adults  calling  him  to  help  in  all  sorts  of  matters, 
and  at  all  hours.  We  could  not  do  otherwise.  If 
he  had  been  hired  at  a large  salary  to  do  this  work, 
he  could  not  have  done  it  better,  nor  so  well  as  he 
did  it  from  the  motive  of  brotherly  love. 

A number  of  our  company  were  rapidly  picking 
up  Russian  phrases.  At  the  bank,  a Chinese  inter- 
preter sometimes  helped,  but  all  important  business 
was  transacted  by  the  help  of  Mr.  Nastegard,  or 


In  Siberia  the  Land  of  Freedom  291 

of  Mr.  T.  Kitaioff,  who  spoke  English  well,  and 
was  very  cordial,  giving  us  rides  in  his  carriages, 
and  inviting  us  to  his  home.  His  mother  had 
known  us  in  Kalgan.  The  home  was  handsomely 
furnished,  a beautiful  and  restful  place ; and  the. 
family,  like  the  other  wealthy  Russians  who  be- 
friended us,  were  most  intelligent  and  refined.  He 
took  us  to  see  the  immense  storehouses  of  the  tea 
merchants,  and  the  beautiful  cathedral.  We  met 
several  other  friends  from  Kalgan,  including  Mr. 
Schapoff,  who  had  stored  Mr.  Sprague’s  boxes  for 
him,  when  we  fled  from  the  city. 

We  called  on  the  American  engineers,  to  see  them 
and  get  news.  How  hungry  we  were  for  news, 
after  two  months  of  isolation  from  the  civilized 
world,  cannot  be  described.  The  engineers  had 
gone  to  Bilutai,  twenty  miles  to  the  west,  where 
they  were  unloading  from  the  steamer,  and  putting 
together  the  traction  engines  for  Urga.  We  met 
Mr.  J.  Dietrick,  who  had  offered  to  lend  us  money 
at  Urga.  He  told  us  of  the  massacres  of  Russian 
women  and  children  by  the  Chinese  on  the  Amur 

1 He  said  that,  when  the  war  began,  the  Russian  officers 
were  called  to  Port  Arthur;  and  that,  as  soon  as  they  had 
gone,  the  Chinese  fell  upon  their  defenseless  families,  tor- 
tured and  killed  three  thousand  Russian  women  and  chil- 
dren, and  carried  their  heads  about  on  poles.  Rev.  Dr. 
Wright  and  son  had  seen  these  horrors  enacted,  and  bare- 


292 


A Flight  for  Life 


of  Rev.  Dr.  G.  Frederick  Wright’s  escape  from 
there,  and  arrival  at  Irkutsk ; and  that  the  Cossacks 
went  to  Urga  for  the  special  purpose  of  protecting 
us.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dietrick  called,  and  we  dined  at 
their  house,  and  met  several  other  Americans.  We 
read  American  and  English  papers  at  their  home, 
and  learned,  to  our  great  grief,  of  the  massacre  of 
sixty  missionaries  in  Shansi.  Why  were  they 
taken,  and  we  spared? 

We  sold  our  horses,  camels,  tents,  guns  and 
ammunition,  and  whatever  else  we  could  spare,  so 
as  not  to  be  charged  excess  baggage  rates  on  the 
railroad.  Three  tourists  from  Paris  called,  and  told 
us  about  the  Exposition.  August  twenty-fourth 
being  Mrs.  Larson’s  birthday,  we  gave  her  an  early 
morning  serenade.  We  often  enjoyed  the  singing 
in  the  churches,  which  were  almost  always  open. 

Long  before  this  time,  when  we  were  coming 
out  of  the  desert,  Dr.  Murdock  began  teaching  us 
Russian  words,  which  she  had  learned  from  her 
friends  in  Kalgan.  Afterward  we  learned  such 
words  from  Mr.  Nastegard  and  the  Buriat  drivers. 
Every  little  gain  in  speech  was  useful,  and  made 
us  seem  to  the  Russians  less  barbarous.  In  Si- 

ly  escaped  with  their  lives.  After  hearing  this  story,  the 
slaughter  of  the  Chinese  in  that  region,  which  occurred 
later,  seemed  to  be  not  an  atrocity,  but  mere  justice. 


In  Siberia  the  Land  of  Freedom 


293 


beria  we  could  feel  the  dislike  of  the  people  toward 
the  English  and  Japanese.  Instead  of  saying:  “Ya 
geverit  po-Angliski,”  (“I  speak  English”),  it  seemed 
preferable  to  say : “ Ya  geverit  po-Amerikanski,” 
(“I  speak  American”).  At  the  word  “Amerikanski,” 
a peculiar  glow  of  friendly  feeling  could  be  seen  in 
the  Russian  eyes. 

It  was  a pleasure  to  see  the  large  high  school, 
and  a number  of  other  schools  in  Troits  Kosavski. 
We  were  told  that  the  tuition  charged  for  pupils 
in  the  high  school  was  five  rubles  a month,  which, 
at  ten  months  in  a year,  would  be  fifty  rubles 
($25.00).  This  does  not  seem  a high  rate,  but 
must  deter  some  of  the  poor  from  educating  their 
children.  There  are  also  in  this  city  three  hand- 
some churches,  post  and  telegraph  offices,  depart- 
ment stores,  and  a white  building  in  ten  sections, 
called  the  Ten  Stores.  In  each  city  of  Siberia,  the 
Emperor  Nicolas  II,  to  encourage  business,  has 
built  a large  house  containing  ten  stores.  Each 
house  cost  fifty  thousand  rubles,  and  the  rent  of 
each  store  is  only  one  hundred  rubles  a year.  The 
government  keeps  the  buildings  in  good  repair. 
The  rent  being  only  two  per  cent,  of  the  capital  in- 
vested, all  can  see  that  the  people  are  benefited, 
rather  than  the  government. 


294 


A Flight  for  Life 


We  were  preparing  for  a five  days’  trip  in  tar- 
antasses  to  Lake  Baikal,  and  needed  to  purchase 
a plentiful  supply  of  nutritious  food.  I went  to  the 
market-place  to  buy  eggs,  and  saw  plenty  of  farm 
carts,  loaded  with  all  manner  of  produce,  but  no 
eggs  in  sight.  I had  forgotten  that  the  Russian 
word  for  eggs  is  “yaitsi,”  and  the  sign  language 
for  once  failed  to  convey  my  meaning.  When  I 
was  at  my  wits’  end,  I cackled,  and  the  farmers  at 
once  brought  out  as  many  eggs  as  I could  want. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 


“BONNIE” 

How  can  I tell  the  excellences  of  “Bonnie,”  Mr. 
Sprague’s  pet  horse?  Bought  in  Kalgan  for 
twenty-two  dollars,  and  fed  on  beans  as  well  as 
straw,  he  endured  the  march  through  the  desert 
best  of  all  the  horses  in  the  caravan.  His  color  was 
white  sprinkled  with  pepper ; his  height,  large  for  a 
Mongol  pony;  his  disposition,  perfect.  His  age 
being  medium,  he  combined  the  fire  of  youth  with 
the  gravity  of  mature  years.  He  was  of  a willing 
mind,  equally  ready  to  amble  away  with  a rider,  or 
to  pull  a cart, — caring  for  only  one  thing  more 
than  to  do  his  master’s  bidding,  and  that  was,  to  eat 
grass. 

Bonnie  was  a missionary.  He  had  gone  on  many 
a preaching  tour.  He  would  carry  a large  load  of 
bedding  and  provisions,  as  well  as  books,  and  a 
full-sized  man, — climbing  mountains  and  fording 
rivers, — and  yet  he  never  complained. 

Bonnie  had  his  escape  from  the  Boxers.^  On 
Sunday  afternoon,  June  io,  when  the  mob  was 
295 


296 


A Flight  for  Life 


at  our  gate  in  Kalgan,  Mr.  Sprague  sent  his  ser- 
vant, whom  we  called  the  “Bandit,”  to  ride  on 
Bonnie  to  the  Upper  City,  with  a note  for  Mr.  Lar- 
son. When  they  returned,  the  mob  would  not  let 
them  enter  the  gate,  and  tried  to  catch  Bonnie. 
He  behaved  well  then,  outrunning  the  enemy,  es- 
caping to  “Thyme  Hill,”  and  then  going  to  the 
Upper  City,  where  he  had  a good  rest  in  Mr.  Lar- 
son’s yard.  He  needed  it.  The  sprint  had  made 
him  lame. 

The  next  day  he  helped  Mr.  Sprague  to  go  from 
the  yamen  to  our  homes,  in  order  to  get  the  trunks 
of  clothing.  The  good  horse  went  with  us  to  Hara 
Oso,  and  enjoyed  eating  grass  for  a few  days,  be- 
fore starting  for  Siberia. 

I can  truly  say  that  Bonnie  saved  my  life ; for,  as 
I had  neither  horse  nor  cart,  I do  not  see  how  I 
could  have  crossed  the  desert  without  his  help.  Yet 
I could  not  monopolize  him,  for  Mr.  Sprague,  Mr. 
Williams  and  others,  needed  to  ride  him  at  times, 
Then  I either  walked,  or  rode  on  a cart,  camel,  or 
another  horse ; but  Bonnie  and  I stuck  to  each 
other  pretty  well. 

Bonnie  was  the  “dude”  of  the  horses.  He  had 
good  times  rolling  in  the  sand  when  his  work  was 
done,  but  was  brushed  clean  each  time  before  being 


“ Bonnie ” 


297 


saddled.  No  other  horse  received  such  care.  The 
Mongols  thought  it  absurd  to  try  to  keep  a horse 
clean.  Either  they  did  not  value  cleanliness,  or 
they  did  not  love  him,  as  I did. 

Luckily  Bonnie  had  a good  Mexican  saddle, 
which  saved  his  back ; and  he  was  not  used  much 
by  the  Mongols,  whose  careless  riding  ruins  horses. 
When  theirs  gave  out,  the  drivers  wanted  to  ride 
Bonnie,  but  were  allowed  to  do  so  only  when 
driving  the  other  horses  to  camp.  His  hoofs  were 
long  at  the  start,  and  the  gravel  wore  them  short, 
but  he  did  not  become  very  lame  before  we 
reached  Urga,  where  we  had  him  shod. 

A terrible  time  he  had  in  the  desert,  with  no 
grass  for  thirteen  days ; yet  he  carried  his  burden 
right  bravely.  His  good  feeding  at  Kalgan  enabled 
him  to  survive  the  starving  process  better  than  the 
other  horses. 

Miss  Engh’s  horse  was  the  only  one  besides 
Bonnie  that  was  used  all  the  way  from  Kalgan 
to  Kiachta.  The  others  were  worn  out  and  sold. 
A few  came  through  in  such  bad  condition  that 
they  could  not  be  ridden.  Miss  Engh’s  horse  had 
some  days  of  rest ; but  Bonnie  alone  was  ridden 
every  day,  through  heat  and  cold,  rain  and  shine, 
the  whole  length  of  that  weary  road. 


2g8 


A Flight  for  Life 


Bonnie  had  a special  friendship  for  Mr.  Williams’ 
horse,  and  would  walk  with  him  on  the  soft  ground 
or  grass  at  the  side  of  the  road,  when  their  hoofs 
were  short  and  tender.  What  they  used  to  say  to 
each  other  he  never  told  me. 

By  starlight  or  moonlight,  or  in  the  glaring  sun- 
shine, under  rain  or  hail,  in  hunger  and  thirst  and 
weariness,  Bonnie  was  our  companion  in  toil  and 
misery, — and  he  was  faithful.  What  better  can  be 
said  of  any  creature,  or  of  any  man? 

He  received  his  reward  in  love,  not  merely  from 
one,  but  from  all  who  rode  him.  Dr.  Murdock 
was  especially  fond  of  him,  and  petted  him  as  she 
would  a little  dog.  To  part  with  him  was  a real 
sorrow.  He  was  sold  for  fourteen  dollars,1  and  Mr. 
Larson  remarked  that  few  horses  could  be  sold 
for  so  much  as  that,  after  having  been  ridden  all 
the  way  from  Kalgan  to  Kiachta. 


1 It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  horses  are  very  cheap  in 
Mongolia,  a trotter  costing  ten  dollars,  and  a pacer  twenty 
or  thirty. 


CHAPTER  XXX 


BY  TARANTASS  TO  IRKUTSK 

Three  villainous-looking  fellows,  who  called 
themselves  explorers,  but  who,  we  thought,  might 
be  government  spies,  came  and  lived  in  our  hotel, 
and  dogged  our  steps  fourteen  days.  We  came  to 
the  belief  that  they  were  highway  robbers,  who  had 
learned  of  our  receiving  money  by  telegraph,  and 
were  willing  to  relieve  us  of  it.  Robbery  was  so 
common  in  the  forests  between  Kiachta  and  Lake 
Baikal,  that  whether  we  should  go  by  tarantasses 
to  Myssowaiya,  on  the  eastern  shore  of  the  lake, 
or  go  in  the  same  manner  to  take  the  steamer  from 
Bilutai,  in  regard  to  safety  there  was  little  to 
choose.  When  we  went  to  the  bank,  to  draw  out 
our  money,  one  of  these  rascals  went  there,  and 
heard  ever)'  word  that  was  said.  Of  course  we 
did  not  like  it,  but  the  result  was  better  than  our 
fears.  He  saw  us  receiving  no  gold  or  bills,  but 
only  letters  of  credit,  to  be  paid  in  Irkutsk.  After 
that  day,  the  “spies”  left  us,  and  we  saw  them  no 
more,  to  our  great  relief. 

299 


300 


A Flight  for  Life 


By  tarantass  to  the  lake  was  the  quicker  route, 
for  the  times  of  sailing  of  the  steamers  were  un- 
certain, and  access  to  them  difficult.  The  carriage, 
large  enough  to  take  two  persons,  has  long  wooden 
springs  and  small  wheels.  Hauled  by  three  horses 
driven  furiously,  it  jolts  to  perfection.  A good 
deal  of  hay  in  the  tarantass,  and  rolls  of  bedding  to 
sit  on,  made  the  riding  easier,  but  not  easy.  The 
bargain  having  been  made,  we  waited  six  days  for 
the  vehicles  to  return  from  the  Baikal.  To  be  im- 
patient at  the  delay  would  do  no  good.  On 
Monday,  August  2 7,  the  seven  tarantasses  came 
to  the  hotel,  but  their  owner  was  tricky,  and  com- 
pelled us  to  make  a new  bargain,  more  advanta- 
geous to  him,  before  we  could  start.  Mr.  Larson 
had  decided  to  remain  in  Kiachta  a few  months, 
as  interpreter  for  the  American  miners.  “Moses” 
being  withdrawn  from  our  number,  Mr.  Nastegard 
was  oil*  “Joshua” ; and  it  was  most  fortunate  that 
we  had  such  a leader.  Mr.  Larson  gave  us  a 
generous  “send-off,”  with  dinner  and  tea  at  his 
expense ; and  the  sleighbells  jingled  merrily,  as  we 
drove  out  of  the  city. 

From  this  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  there 
was  snow  on  the  ground.  The  tarantasses  always 
have  these  bells,  which  probably  were  meant  to 


By  Tarantass  to  Irkutsk 


301 


scare  away  the  wolves  from  the  road.  Their 
sound  was  delightful ; but  the  sight  of  the  poor 
horses,  two  of  which  had  their  heads  tied  off  to  one 
side,  so  that  they  looked  away  from  the  middle 
horse,  was  pitiful.  How  they  could  avoid  stum- 
bling, going  at  such  a rapid  pace,  and  not  able  to 
look  ahead,  we  could  not  imagine. 

Evening  came,  and,  dusty  and  tired,  we  reached 
the  post  station  of  Ust  Kiachta.  Here  we  were 
refused  admission  to  the  house  in  which  we  were 
to  sleep,  until  Mr.  Nastegard  showed  the  keeper 
an  official  letter  given  him  in  Kiachta,  requiring 
that  we  should  be  treated  hospitably. 

The  next  day  we  crossed  the  Selenga  River, 
about  thirty  miles  from  the  place  where  William 
Stallybrass  and  Edward  Swan,  English  mission- 
aries, lived  in  self-exile  from  1818  to  1841,  and 
translated  the  whole  Bible  into  the  Mongolian 
language.  Their  work  is  an  inestimable  means  of 
blessing  to  the  Mongols.  We  were  sorry  that  we 
had  not  the  leisure  to  visit  the  scene  of  their  labors, 
where  some  of  their  company  had  fallen  asleep  in 
Jesus.  In  their  day,  this  region  was  farther  away 
from  the  civilized  world  than  any  place  on  the 
globe  is  now. 

The  third  day  we  crossed  a wide  and  desolate 


1 


302 


A Flight  for  Life 


plain  called  the  Barokolski  Steppe.  At  the  Fourth 
Station,  we  rested  in  the  midst  of  romantic  scenery, 
— the  mountains,  river,  forests  and  new  moon 
combining  to  make  our  surroundings  perfect,  ex- 
cept for  the  manifestations  of  insect  life  in  the 
house.  Then  we  passed  fine  farms,  and  entered 
a wild  country  with  woods  and  trout  brooks. 
Through  rain  and  mud  the  horses  plunged  on,  and 
we  were  at  least  making  progress. 

On  Thursday,  for  half  a day  we  were  going 
down  a steep  mountain  road,  while  a brook,  all  the 
way  at  nearly  the  same  depth  below  the  road, 
flowed  past  us  in  the  opposite  direction.  This 
freak1  of  nature  we  all  saw,  but  could  not  explain. 
It  will  be  said  that  we  were  going  up  the  moun- 
tain ; but  we  know  that  we  were  going  down  such 
a steep  descent,  that  frequently  we  had  to  lean  back 
in  the  tarantasses,  to  avoid  falling  out.  Our  com- 
pany, containing  eighteen  adults  of  a good  degree 
of  intelligence  and  education,  were  agreed  as  to  the 
facts.  If  the  phenomenon  had  been  brief  and  local, 
instead  of  continued  through  a ride  of  half  a day, 
it  would  have  been  easier  to  understand. 

The  next  morning  our  road  led  uphill,  and  we 
obtained  a view  of  distant  mountains,  on  which 

lA  common  optical  delusion  in  these  districts. 


By  Tarantass  to  Irkutsk  303 

there  was  snow.  Then  we  came  to  a meteorolo- 
gical observatory,  called  Verkini  Mishiba,  at  a 
height  of  seventy-two  hundred  feet  above  the  sea. 
It  is  at  the  summit  of  the  mountains  bordering  Lake 
Baikal  on  the  east.  Two  scientists  came  out  on  the 
road  and  conversed  with  us.  They  stated  that  no 
astronomical  observations  are  taken  there,  and 
that  the  meteorological  reports  are  used  in  com- 
puting the  daily  forecast  of  the  weather  for  east- 
ern Siberia.  While  we  were  talking  with  these 
men,  our  carriages  were  being  ransacked  by  cus- 
toms officers,  whose  chief  object  was  to  search  for 
tea.  We  passengers  had  none,  but  the  drivers 
had  a small  quantity. 

At  last,  after  five  days  of  jolting, — the  last  day 
and  a half  through  a magnificent  forest,  whose 
pines  and  larches  were  interspersed  with  birch  and 
mountain-ash  trees,  raspberry  bushes,  daisies  and 
buttercups,  and  every  leafy  twig  seemed  made  ex- 
pressly to  delight  our  eyes, — we  came  to  the 
flourishing  little  city  of  Myssowaiya,  where  the 
Siberian  railroad  leaves  the  Baikal  for  the  east. 
The  splendid  inland  sea,  four  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  long,  and  from  twenty  to  fifty  miles  wide, 
lay  before  us  like  a mirror  framed  in  blue  moun- 
tains,— a most  charming  sight.  Its  usefulness  for 


304 


A Flight  for  Life 


navigation  must  conduce  to  the  rapid  building  up 
of  towns  and  cities  on  its  shores,  especially  be- 
cause it  is  on  the  line  of  the  great  Siberian  rail- 
road. 

Instead  of  taking  us  to  the  wharf,  as  the  written 
bargain  required  him  to  do,  the  insolent  Suaroff 
took  us  to  his  own  yard,  which  was  reeking  with 
pigsties  and  filth.  There  were  no  rooms  for  our 
use.  The  air  consisted  of  condensed  odors.  The 
steamer  on  which  we  should  have  gone  sailed  an 
hour  after  our  arrival.  For  half  of  the  afternoon 
and  until  midnight,  our  ladies  and  children  were 
kept  in  that  vile  place,  while  the  rascal  tried  to 
compel  us  to  pay  eighty  rubles  ($40.00)  for  their 
release.  He  locked  his  front  gate,  and  brought  out 
his  shot-gun,  to  use  as  an  argument.  In  this  crisis, 
Mr.  Nastegard  rendered  us  splendid  service.  When 
he  had  appealed  to  the  police  three  times,  they 
compelled  Suaroff  to  take  us  to  a hotel,  allowed 
him  to  receive  only  the  amount  of  money  specified 
in  the  contract,  and  fined  him  ten  or  twenty  rubles. 
Worn  out  and  wretched  as  we  were,  it  was  a joy 
to  escape  from  the  clutches  of  that  villainous 
fellow. 

Our  twenty-three  people  had  only  two  rooms  in 
the  hotel.  Some  slept  in  the  hall,  and  all  break- 


By  Tarantass  to  Irkutsk  305 

fasted  on  the  verandah,  looking  out  on  the  beauti- 
ful lake.  In  the  opposite  direction  there  were  some 
railroad  trains, — the  first  that  we  saw  in  Sibe- 
ria. The  rails  and  wheels  were  light,  but  both 
the  tracks  and  the  cars  seemed  to  be  of  first-rate 
make. 

At  noon,  September  1,  we  boarded  a little 
steamer  to  cross  the  Baikal.  Our  baggage  was  ex- 
amined by  the  customs  officers,  in  a thorough  but 
most  gentlemanly  way.  We  were  glad  to  be  travel- 
ing by  steam.  The  ship  appeared  to  be  neither 
strong  nor  clean.  The  voyage,  pleasant  enough  at 
first,  became  very  rough  under  the  influence  of  the 
north  wind.  The  swells  were  immense.  Seasick- 
ness was  almost  universal.  How  anxiously  we 
watched  for  the  western  shore ! The  trees  on  the 
mountains,  by  their  increasing  size,  in  the  light  of 
the  setting  sun,  showed  us  the  diminishing  distance 
of  terra  flrma. 

Landing  in  the  evening  at  Barachig,  we  were 
accosted  on  the  gangway  by  a man  speaking  Eng- 
lish. It  was  an  unexpected  pleasure  to  hear  our 
own  tongue.  When  he  learned  that  I was  going 
to  America,  he  asked  to  what  place,  and  as  I told 
him  Hartford,  Conn.,  he  said : “I  have  a brother 
there,  at  108  Ann  St.,  and  I wish  you  would  find 


306  A Flight  for  Life 

him,  and  tell  him  you  have  met  me.”  As  I went 
on,  I said  to  myself,  “The  world  is  not  so  very 
large,  after  all.” 

We  had  reached  the  terminus  of  the  famous 
Siberian  railway.  The  train  would  not  go  before 
morning.  So  our  whole  company  slept  on  the 
station  platform.  Tire  waiting-room  was  crowded 
with  poor-looking  people,  and  its  atmosphere  was 
unbreathable.  Our  place  under  the  open  sky  was 
much  to  be  preferred.  We  piled  up  our  trunks, 
making  a wall  of  them,  put  the  hand  luggage  be- 
hind, and  laid  down  mattresses  there  for  the  ladies 
and  children ; and  the  gentlemen  slept  in  front, 
while  a soldier,  with  fixed  bayonet,  paced  to  and 
fro  all  the  night.  We  were  glad  to  be  under  his 
protection.  The  next  morning  a train  took  us  in 
an  hour  and  a half  to  Irkutsk.  The  road  lay  along 
the  wide  Angara  River,  which  is  the  outlet  of  Lake 
Baikal.  From  the  depot,  the  view  of  the  city,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  is  superb.  Irkutsk  is  the 
largest  city  in  Siberia,  having  a population  of  fifty 
thousand,  and  is  the  capital  of  Eastern  Siberia. 
Its  situation  on  the  railway,  and  on  a navigable 
river,  with  Lake  Baikal  near  by,  ensures  its  growth 
and  prosperity.  In  fact,  if  the  gold-mining  interests 
succeed  as  anticipated,  to  say  nothing  of  the  de- 


By  Tarantass  to  Irkutsk  307 

velopment  of  other  resources,  Irkutsk  will  become 
one  of  the  greatest  cities  of  the  empire. 

Having  crossed  the  bridge,  a long  ride  in  the 
hot  sun  brought  us  to  the  French  hotel.  As  a 
lodging-place,  it  was  comfortable  in  the  comparative 
degree,  but  not  in  the  superlative. 

We  visited  the  cathedral,  and  the  British  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society’s  rooms,  and  saw  the  oldest 
building  in  Siberia,  a grass-covered  brick  structure, 
built  by  Yermak,  the  conqueror  of  Siberia,  about 
the  year  1585.  This  man  was  a robber  chief,  who 
had  fought  against  the  czar’s  troops,  and  found 
refuge  in  flight  to  the  far  East.  With  only  a few 
hundred  men,  he  marched  through  a wild  and  most 
difficult  country,  over  a thousand  miles  in  extent, 
fighting  the  natives,  and  living  on  whatever  he 
could  find  in  the  prairie  or  forest.  At  last  he  offered 
to  his  emperor,  Ivan  “the  Terrible,’’  the  new  king- 
dom of  Siberia,  and  at  the  same  time  begged  par- 
don for  his  earlier  misdeeds.  This  was  granted, 
and  a cloak  and  a medal  were  bestowed  on  him, 
in  recognition  of  his  valuable  services. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 


OVER  THE  SIBERIAN  RAILWAY 

At  the  advice  of  the  consul-general  in  Urga,  we 
had  sent  from  Kiachta  the  following  telegram : — 

“United  States  Minister,  urgent,  Petersburg: 

Please  wire  Government  permit  five  Americans  travel 
mail  train  Petersburg  without  delay.  Irkutsk,  Roberts.” 

The  word  “urgent”  was  necessary  because  of 
the  state  of  war,  in  which  private  telegrams  were 
liable  to  indefinite  delay ; but  this  word,  and  the 
payment  of  a triple  price,  thirty  kopeks  or  twelve 
cents  a word,  ensured  prompt  delivery.  Several 
train-loads  of  soldiers  were  being  sent  to  the  East 
every  day,  in  new  and  handsomely  painted  freight- 
cars,  all  marked  “Mobilized  for  the  War.”  We 
were  liable  to  be  side-tracked  many  hours,  or  even 
days,  unless  we  had  the  government  permit.  We 
never  received  an  answer  to  this  telegram,  but  the 
permit  was  procured  and  sent  us  by  the  Hon. 
Herbert  H.  D.  Pierce,  charge  d’  affairs  of  the 
United  States  embassy,  St.  Petersburg,— and  it 

3°8 


Over  the  Siberian  Railzvay  309 

also  was  made  known  to  the  railway  officials.  For 
this  reason,  we  were  treated  most  kindly  and  cor- 
dially all  along  the  route.  Traveling  second  class, 
at  half  of  the  first  class  fare,  we  paid  rubles  41.85, 
or  gold  $16.74,  for  a ticket  from  Irkutsk  to  St. 
Petersburg,  a distance  of  5706  versts,  or  3782  miles. 
Excess  baggage  rates  of  eight  cents  per  pound 
were  charged  for  all  over  thirty-six  pounds  of 
weight  carried  in  the  baggage  car.  Nothing  was 
charged  for  hand  luggage ; therefore  all  the  pas 
sengers  took  as  much  baggage  as  their  limited 
spaces  in  the  car  could  contain,  although  doing  so 
occasioned  much  inconvenience.  Owing  to  our 
“permit,”  we  enjoyed  a special  car,  new,  clean  and 
commodious,  the  best  car  on  the  train.  Our  good 
fortune  and  comparative  comfort  can  be  seen  in  the 
fact  that  our  car  had  only  twenty-four  berths, 
whereas  the  others,  some  smaller  and  none  larger 
than  ours,  had  thirty-two,  forty-eight,  fifty-four, 
or  even  sixty-two  berths. 

We  went  from  Irkutsk  to  Moscow  in  ten  days 
and  nights.  The  fast  train,  with  dining-car  at- 
tached, made  the  same  distance  in  eight  days,  but 
went  only  once  a week,  and  passage  on  it  would 
be  much  more  expensive.  So  popular  was  this 
train,  and  so  limited  its  accommodations,  that 


3io 


A Flight  for  Life 


passengers  for  it  must  be  booked  a week  before. 
We  could  afford  neither  the  expense  nor  the 
delay. 

The  day  was  rainy,  but  our  hearts  were  happy, 
as  we  started  by  rail  for  Europe.  It  was  not  like 
traveling  by  camel.  Four  days  we  went  over  low 
hills  and  through  dense  forests,  then  two  days 
over  a prairie,  and  four  more  days  through  rich 
farming  lands,  where  the  soil  was  black  and  vil- 
lages were  numerous. 

In  no  other  country  but  America  or  Canada, 
could  one  travel  by  rail  in  one  direction  for  so 
many  days.  The  road-bed  was  well  made,  old  ties 
were  being  replaced  with  new,  and  at  frequent  inter- 
vals there  were  men  standing  with  green  flags, 
indicating  that  they  had  inspected  their  sections, 
and  that  the  road  was  in  good  condition. 

It  became  evident  that  our  permit  to  travel  with- 
out hindrance  was  needed,  for  others  envied  us  the 
good  car  in  which  we  rode.  It  was  well  that  we 
had  official  recognition  and  protection.  In  such  a 
military  country,  especially  in  war-time,  army 
officers  would  be  privileged  persons.  Such  men 
tried  to  turn  us  out  of  our  car,  and  stamped  and 
swore  because  they  could  not  do  so,  but  were 
told  by  the  railway  officials:  “This  car  is  reserved 


Over  the  Siberian  Railway  31 1 

for  the  Americans,  who  are  going  to  St.  Peters- 
berg.” 

While  thus  defended  and  favored  by  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  government,  we  were  cheated 
almost  everywhere  by  the  hotel-keepers.  One  of 
their  tricks  was  to  have  a chair  with  a broken  leg, 
which  would  give  way  under  the  guest  and  occa- 
sion an  extra  charge  for  repairs.  One  such  chair, 
in  the  course  of  a year,  must  be  quite  a source  of 
profit.  Some  others  besides  hotel-keepers  seemed 
willing  to  make  money  out  of  our  necessities.  It 
was  an  interesting  mark  of  human  nature.  A large 
company  of  travelers,  unfamiliar  with  the  language 
and  customs,  cannot  economize,  or  conceal  their 
needs.  In  every  difficulty,  Mr.  Niistegard  helped 
us  immensely,  standing  up  for  our  rights,  yet 
patiently  arguing  each  case  on  its  own  merits,  and 
saving  to  the  American  Board  and  the  Swedish 
missionaries  not  a little  money. 

Food,  the  most  important  thing,  was  cheap 
everywhere  in  Siberia.  It  was  a surprise  to  find 
nice  Vienna  bread  and  butter,  roast  chickens, 
cheese,  milk,  and  everything  needful,  for  sale  at 
almost  every  station  on  the  Siberian  railway, — to 
say  nothing  of  tea  and  coflee, — a regular  lunch 
counter  every  two  or  three  hours,  and  restaurants 


312 


A Flight  for  Life 


both  numerous  and  well  kept.  Our  food,  including 
dinner  in  the  restaurant  and  lunches  morning  and 
evening,  cost  on  the  average  one  ruble,  or  fifty 
cents  gold,  for  each  person  per  day. 

The  steel  bridges,  especially  those  over  the  Yene- 
sei  and  Volga  Rivers,  and  the  depot  in  Samara,  were 
grand.  The  bridge  over  the  Yenesei  was  one  verst 
or  thirty-five  hundred  feet  in  length,  and  that  over 
the  Volga  consisted  of  eleven  spans  of  more  than 
three  hundred  and  sixty  feet  each.  The  depot  at 
Krasnoiarsk,  lighted  by  electricity,  seemed  like  one 
in  America,  except  that  we  saw  many  army  officers 
in  brilliant  uniforms. 

Our  company  not  quite  filling  the  car,  one  com- 
partment of  it  was  occupied  by  three  young  Rus- 
sians. The  fourth  berth  was  empty.  To  prevent 
any  one  taking  it,  an  artificial  man  was  made  of 
stuffed  clothing,  lying  in  the  berth.  The  ruse  was 
successful  for  a time,  until  a man  who  wanted  the 
berth  pulled  off  the  dummy’s  boots. 

We  saw  only  a few  companies  of  prisoners.  One 
of  perhaps  twenty,  with  shackles  on  their  feet,  were 
leaving  Irkutsk  for  the  far  East,  surrounded  by  well 
armed  soldiers.  While  a few  may  have  been 
political  suspects,  the  larger  part  were  doubtless 
real  criminals.  Another  such  company  was  seen 


Over  the  Siberian  Railway 


3T3 


standing  on  the  platform  of  a railway  station.  Mr. 
Nastegard  inquired  for  what  reason  they  were  being 
deported,  and  received  this  answer:  “Because  they 
have  no  passports.”  Since  the  railway  was  con- 
structed, there  has  been  a constant  stream  of  es- 
caped convicts  going  back  to  Russia.  They  have 
to  be  rearrested,  and  sent  again  to  the  East.  It 
is  said  that  murderers,  robbers  and  defaulters 
fare  worse  in  the  Russian  empire  than  in  coun- 
tries farther  west ; and  the  statement  is  quite 
credible. 

The  scenery  in  the  Ural  mountains  was  fine, 
forests  alternating  with  pastures  and  fruitful  farms, 
all  gliding  by  as  in  a panorama.  The  huts  of  the 
villagers  were  thatched  with  grass.  The  black  soil 
of  southern  Russia  reminded  us  that  we  were  in  the 
wheat-growing  region, — one  of  the  greatest  grana- 
ries of  the  world.  A splendid  harvest  had  been  cut, 
tied  in  bundles,  and  left  on  the  ground.  It  was  said 
to  have  been  destroyed  by  eleven  days  of  frequent 
rains.  What  a pity  that  the  peasants  cannot  take 
better  care  of  the  precious  grain!  When  the  crops 
fail,  this  is  the  famine  region.  We  passed  through 
the  city  of  Upha,  where  the  poor  people  are  said 
to  hibernate  during  a large  part  of  the  winter. 
They  heat  up  their  huge  brick  stoves,  go  to  sleep 


A Flight  for  Life 


3M 

on  the  top  of  them,  occasionally  come  down  to  add 
a little  fuel,  and  eat  a little  food,  and  then  go  to 
sleep  again,  making  sleep  partly  take  the  place  of 
food,  until  the  dreary  winter  is  past. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 


A PEOPLE  MUCH  MISUNDERSTOOD 

Our  lives  having  been  saved  by  the  Russians,  we 
may  be  prejudiced  in  their  favor,  and  our  high 
estimate  of  them  must  be  judged  according  to  its 
intrinsic  worth.  We  may  admit  that  we  have  not 
seen  their  character  on  all  sides,  and  that  a longer 
sojourn  among  them  might  lead  us  to  modify  some 
present  convictions.  However,  even  a rapid  jour- 
ney through  their  country  affords  a glimpse  of 
their  customs,  and  gives  one  a little  real  knowledge 
of  them  at  first  hand.  During  the  forty  days  spent 
in  their  empire,  we  not  only  saw,  but  also  heard, 
some  things  which  we  might  not  have  learned 
from  papers  and  books.  It  would  seem  ungrateful, 
after  receiving  so  many  favors,  not  to  say  a few 
words  on  their  behalf,  to  correct  current  misappre- 
hensions. 

Americans  have  had  little  opportunity  to  know 
the  Russians ; we  do  not  study  their  language  in  our 
schools,  nor  have  extensive  business  dealings  with 
them,  nor  travel  much  in  their  country.  When  our 
315 


316 


A Flight  for  Life 


people  go  abroad,  they  visit  England  and  Central 
Europe,  or  Constantinople,  Egypt  and  the  Holy 
Land ; or  perhaps  sail  around  the  world  by  way  of 
India.  The  result  is  that  most  Americans  derive 
information  about  the  Russians  from  their  rivals 
and  enemies,  who  perhaps  cannot  see  the  better 
side  of  their  character,  or  appreciate  the  reasona- 
bleness of  their  actions. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  Russian  em- 
pire contains  peoples  many  and  diverse : Finns, 
Poles,  Cossacks,  Persians,  Samoyeds,  Tunguses, 
Yakuts,  Kirghiz  and  Buriat  Mongols,  and  other 
tribes,  besides  Russians  and  Siberians.  The  last 
term  is  used  to  designate  descendants  of  Russians 
who  have  lived  in  the  wilds  of  Siberia  several  gen- 
erations, and  have  lost  something  of  the  refinement 
of  the  people  in  their  fatherland.  All  degrees  of 
civilization,  from  the  Parisian  to  the  savage,  can  be 
found  in  this  wide  domain.  It  is  not  fair  to  blame 
the  Russian  for  the  barbarism  or  brutality  of  the 
subject  races.  It  is  easy  to  look  at  a Buriat,  call 
him  a Russian,  and  write  a newspaper  article  on 
his  lack  of  good  manners ; but  the  argument  is  in- 
conclusive and  unjust.  Even  the  natives  of  Eu- 
ropean Russia  are  far  from  being  alike.  Contrast 
the  peasant  of  Upha  with  the  merchant  of  Moscow ; 


A People  Much  Misunderstood  31 7 

the  difference  is  unspeakably  great.  The  former 
have  not  had  sufficient  opportunities  of  education 
and  intercourse  with  the  world.  Yet  all  have  the 
same  human  nature,  and  ability  to  receive  instruc- 
tion. Russia  is  civilizing  them  as  fast  as  she  can. 
The  task  is  great,  and  the  process  necessarily  slow. 

The  picturing  of  Russia  in  cartoons  as  a bear 
has  given  the  impression  of  a force  not  governed 
by  reason  nor  pity.  Our  “combination”  learned, 
by  a happy  experience,  that  the  Sclavs  have  a large 
supply  of  the  best  instincts  and  feelings  of  mankind. 
Their  hospitality  and  kindness  to  us  were  spontane- 
ous and  sincere.  I will  merely  point  to  the  case  of 
Mrs.  Ogloffski,  welcoming  to  her  home  a stranger 
with  a sick  child,  caring  for  it  till  it  drew  its  last 
breath,  and  doing  all  that  she  could  to  comfort  the 
afflicted  mother.  What  was  the  babe  to  her?  She 
might  have  let  it  die  in  the  hotel ; but  she  had  a 
loving  heart,  and  a home  to  which  the  unknown 
Swede  was  welcome. 

In  affection  for  their  families  the  Russians  are 
the  equals  of  other  nations.  Gentleness,  quietness 
and  neatness  are  seen  in  many  of  their  homes ; and 
no  country  is  perfect  in  these  respects.  Their  life, 
as  we  saw  it,  was  polite,  reasonable  and  kind- 
hearted.  Reverence  toward,  those  above  them  in 


3 18  A Flight  for  Life 

the  family,  church  or  state,  was  very  noticeable. 
This  must  be  conducive  to  public  order,  and  might 
well  be  imitated  by  other  peoples.  Religion  per- 
vades their  lives.  Witness  their  frequent  attendance 
and  worshipful  manner  at  church,  and  the  pictures 
of  Jesus  in  their  homes.  The  latter  are  always  to 
be  seen,  high  in  the  corner  of  the  chief  room,  with 
a lighted  lamp  or  candle,  as  an  emblem  of  devout 
service.  Each  person  who  enters  the  room  salutes 
the  portrait  of  the  Saviour,  bending  the  knee  and 
making  the  sign  of  the  cross.  In  any  city  or  vil- 
lage, the  noblest  edifice  is  the  church  or  cathe- 
dral. How  much  the  people  understand  the  prayers 
and  Christian  teaching  must  not  be  misjudged  by 
one  unfamiliar  with  their  tongue.  Prayers  which 
were  unintelligible  to  us  may  have  been  under- 
stood by  them.  Best  of  all,  they  worship  the  true 
God,  trust  in  our  own  Saviour,  and  have  the  same 
hope  of  a future  life  in  heaven  which  comforts  us. 
The  children  are  taught  the  same  Bible  stories  that 
have  thrilled  our  hearts.  If  one  does  not  appre- 
ciate the  Christianity  of  the  Russians,  let  him  first 
sojourn  in  a pagan  land,  and  the  contrast  on  enter- 
ing Russia  will  be  most  striking.  We  ourselves 
need  to  be  reminded  that  Protestantism  is  not  the 
whole  of  Christianity,  and  that  no  sect,  however 


A People  Much  Misunderstood 


3i9 


good  and.  true,  has  the  monopoly  of  the  road  to 
heaven. 

If  the  marvelous  growth  of  the  British  empire 
and  the  American  republic  seem  to  be  providen- 
tial, and  to  indicate  some  divine  intent  for  the  wel- 
fare of  the  human  race,  the  same  may  be  said  of  the 
expansion  of  the  Russian  empire.  Like  the  United 
States,  it  faces  toward  Europe,  sharing  in  the  best 
thoughts  and  discoveries  of  other  nations,  while  in 
its  rear  opens  a new  country,  of  continental  extent, 
with  the  evident  privilege  and  duty  of  possessing 
and  civilizing  it,  and  making  it  more  useful  to  the 
world.  In  opportunities  of  growth,  in  the  task  of 
subduing  and  governing,  and  in  the  ability  to  fulfil 
their  missions,  the  two  nations  are  similar.  As  is 
often  remarked,  a strong  nation  must  grow,  and 
one  that  does  not  grow  is  sure  to  decay.  The 
Russians,  in  addition  to  their  unique  location  and 
opportunity,  have  a strong  government  and  a 
noble  ambition ; they  are  Occidental  in  their  pre- 
vailing sympathies,  and  exert  a beneficent  influence 
over  any  new  peoples  whom  they  undertake  to 
govern,  opening  our  roads,  establishing  post-offices, 
administering  justice,  fostering  agriculture  and 
commerce,  and  teaching  a true  religion.  As  a 
civilizing  power,  they  are  worthy  of  admiration. 


320 


A Flight  for  Life 


Their  methods  are  moderate  and  conciliatory.  As 
Mr.  Nastegard  said,  they  are  not  rough  in  their 
treatment  of  conquered  tribes,  but  “let  them  down 
easily,”  saying  to  the  prince,  “You  may  retain  your 
honors  and  authority  as  long  as  you  live,  but  after 
your  death,  the  czar  will  appoint  a ruler  to  succeed 
you  and  to  the  people,  “You  may  worship  in  your 
own  mosques  and  temples,  but  not  repair  them,  nor 
build  new  ones,  and  whenever  you  wish,  you  may 
come  to  our  church.”  It  cannot  be  denied  that 
there  is  much  falsehood  in  the  diplomacy  of  all 
nations,  except  in  the  case  of  the  outspoken 
Brother  Jonathan.  This  cannot  be  condoned ; but 
it  is  true  that  Russian  diplomacy  seeks  and  wins  by 
peaceful  methods  the  ends  which  other  nations 
would  gain  by  war. 

The  United  States  needed  the  Pacific  coast, 
fought  the  Mexicans,  and  took  it.  This  was  done 
in  the  interest  of  slavery;  but  all  must  see  that  if 
we  had  not  taken  it  then,  and  for  that  reason,  we 
should  have  done  so  later  at  all  costs.  It  was  indis- 
pensable to  our  welfare,  and  “manifest  destiny” 
pointed  the  way.  Similarly,  the  Russians  need  their 
Pacific ; and  it  is  equally  true  that  that  coast  needs 
them.  If  the  Chinese  governed  Manchuria  with 
justice,  and  for  the  good  of  the  governed,,  their 


A People  Much  Misunderstood 


321 


claims  would  have  more  force.  As  a matter  of 
sentiment,  it  is  a great  pity  that  the  white  people 
took  away  the  American  forests  and  prairies  from 
the  red  man ; but,  as  an  event  of  benefit  to  the 
world,  who  can  regret  it? 

Strong  nations  have  their  rights ; and  it  is  time 
to  admit  it,  as  a fact  and  law  of  nature.  It  is  noble 
to  plead  for  the  rights  of  the  weak,  which  of  course 
should  be  defended;  but  much  may  be  said  of  the 
rights  of  the  strong.  They  have  not  merely  the 
right  to  exist,  but  also  the  right  to  grow,  to  obtain 
room  for  development,  and  to  gain  access  to 
the  sea,  which  is  necessary  for  national  strength. 
They  have  the  right  to  protect  trade,  to  police  un- 
ruly countries,  and  to  unify  the  lands  they  govern, 
by  imparting  just  laws  and  true  civilization.  Since 
all  progressive  nations  have  these  rights,  each  must 
modify  its  action,  so  as  not  to  infringe  on  the  rights 
of  others ; but  in  this  age  the  unprogressive  nations, 
if  they  maintain  their  independence,  do  so  at  the 
sufferance  of  their  stronger  brothers. 

Certain  sects  have  given  offence  in  Russia,  by 
erecting  an  imperium  in  imperio,  or  by  refusing  to 
bear  arms.  Against  such  the  government  was 
obliged  to  take  action.  It  could  not  be  expected 
that  any  portion  of  the  country,  or  class  of  people, 


322 


A Flight  for  Life 


should  be  exempt  from  bearing  its  share  of  the 
burdens  of  the  commonwealth.  If  it  is  a hard- 
ship for  a civilized  man  to  go  to  defend  some  dis- 
tant frontier,  the  good  which  is  accomplished  for 
his  country  and  for  the  world,  is  such  as  could 
not  be  won  without  this  sacrifice.  The  best  por- 
tions of  the  empire  suffer  for  the  welfare  of  the  less 
favored.  If  they  do  so  with  the  right  spirit,  there 
is  something  divine  in  the  act. 

Americans  never  can  forget  that  a Russian  fleet 
arrived  in  New  York  harbor  in  the  darkest  days  of 
the  Civil  War,  bringing  an  assurance  of  friendly 
aid  in  case  of  need.  For  many  years  a lack  of 
sympathy  with  Great  Britain  promoted  a cordial 
feeling  toward  Russia.  Now  that  a warm  friendship 
for  England  has  grown  up  in  the  United  States, 
there  is  no  reason  for  any  change  of  feeling  toward 
Russia.  The  two  empires,  working  for  the  better- 
ment of  northern  and  southern  Asia,  are  equally 
appointed  to  this  task  from  above,  and  are  one  in 
toil  and  suffering  to  bear  “the  white  man’s  burden.” 
Friendship  to  the  one  is  not  inconsistent  with 
friendship  to  the  other.  Russians  and  Anglo-Sax- 
ons fought  and  bled  together  in  the  siege  of  Pe- 
king. The  British  and  Americans  in  Tientsin,  under 
bombardment,  and  likely  to  be  exterminated  by  the 


A People  Much  Misunderstood 


323 


Boxers  and  Chinese  soldiers,  were  first  relieved  and 
defended  by  Russian  soldiers,  of  whom  two  hun- 
dred laid  down  their  lives  in  the  struggle.  The 
solution  of  the  railway  siding  dispute  shows  the 
needlessness  of  hostility.  If  larger  interests  may 
be  adjusted  with  the  same  wisdom,  which  in  this 
case  led  to  a peaceful  issue,  the  benefit  to  the 
world  will  be  immeasurable.  In  such  affairs,  reason 
has  to  take  the  place  of  force,  and  friendly  rivalry 
is  not  an  evil,  but  an  essential  means  of  the  greatest 
good. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 


FAREWELL 

“Return  unto  thy  rest,  O my  soul ; for  the  Lord  hath 
dealt  bountifully  with  thee.” 

The  glories  of  Moscow  who  can  declare?  A city 
of  a million  people  would  be  interesting  anywhere ; 
how  much  more  such  a place  as  this,  endeared  to 
the  Russians  as  the  ancient  city  of  their  kings, 
and  magnificent  also  at  the  present  time,  with  its 
flourishing  business,  extensive  manufactures,  state- 
ly buildings  and  ornate  churches.  The  streets  are 
well-paved  and  clean.  The  store-windows  of 
plate  glass  rival  those  of  American  cities,  and  the 
meat  and  fish  markets  and  bakeries  are  surprisingly 
neat  and  attractive.  The  city  is  said  to  have  five 
hundred  churches  or  cathedrals,  many  of  which 
were  built  as  works  of  merit.  Each  has  several 
towers  or  spires,  gilded,  or  painted  with  bright 
colors,  red,  blue  or  green.  The  combined  effect, 
when  viewed  from  a high  place,  is  a strikingly  pic- 
turesque and  almost  fantastic  scene.  It  is  more 
324 


Farewell 


325 


than  beautiful, — it  is  glorious.  Besides  these  many 
churches,  there  is  the  Cathedral  du  St.  Sauveur,  a 
new  and  immense  structure,  built  at  a cost  of  fifteen 
million  rubles.  The  interior  is  adorned  with  large 
and  elegant  paintings  of  Scripture  scenes.  The 
altar  is  a house  within  a house,  several  stories 
in  height,  and  exquisite  in  form  and  color.  After 
seeing  this  cathedral,  St.  Paul’s  in  London  seemed 
to  have  little  grandeur  and  less  beauty. 

Our  party  reached  Moscow  September  15,  1900, 
and  lodged  in  the  Great  Hotel  of  Moscow  (Belsha- 
ya  Moskofskaiya  Gostinitza).  The  next  day  was 
Sunday,  and  we  were  glad  to  attend  the  services. 
We  visited  the  Coronation  Church,  where  each  czar 
crowns  himself,  and  two  other  churches  in  the 
kremlin,  or  citadel,  and  the  great  cathedral.  All 
contained  most  interesting  pictures ; one  of  them, 
as  a small  part  of  its  attractions,  had  the  entire 
story  of  Jonah  emblazoned  on  the  walls.  The 
Coronation  Church  was  profusely  gilded,  and  so 
crowded  that  one  could  hardly  enter  or  leave. 
There  were  no  seats,  and  the  audience  was  stand- 
ing; there  was  no  room  to  kneel.  Both  there  and 
in  the  cathedral,  elaborate  services  were  being 
conducted.  In  the  latter  there  were  two  choirs, 
consisting  of  men  and  boys,  perhaps  fifty  in  all,  who 


326 


A Flight  for  Life 


sang  in  perfect  time  and  harmony,  without  the  aid 
of  any  instrument. 

In  the  kremlin  we  saw  the  largest  bell  in  the 
world,  the  piece  broken  out  showing  a thickness 
of  two  feet;  the  monument  to  the  grandfather  of 
the  present  czar,  which  cost  two  million  rubles ; 
the  quaint  and  crenelated  wall  of  the  kremlin, 
built  by  the  Chinese  eight  centuries  ago ; the  gilded 
and  painted  domes  and  buildings  of  a large  part 
of  the  city,  gleaming  in  the  sunlight ; and,  perhaps 
most  glorious  of  all,  hundreds  of  cannon  and  balls 
left  by  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  after  his  disastrous 
campaign. 

On  Monday  we  visited  the  palace.  In  the  large 
halls,  with  exquisite  mosaic  floors,  the  walls  and 
ceilings  painted  white  with  elegant  gilt  trimmings, 
there  were  pictures  of  all  the  czars  and  members  of 
the  royal  family, — thrones,  tables,  gifts  from 
other  monarchs,  and  dishes  of  silver  and  gold. 
There  was  a set  of  crockery  given  to  Russia  by 
Napoleon,  before  the  time  of  his  war,  and  a white 
eagle  sent  as  a gift  from  Japan.  The  .cost  of  the 
palace  halls  was  seventy  million  rubles.  They  en- 
close, in  a small  court,  the  oldest  church  in  Mos- 
cow, built  by  Ivan  “the  Terrible.”  We  saw  a 
sleigh  of  Peter  the  Great,  which  had  been  drawn 


Farewell 


327 


by  twenty-four  horses ; also  his  bed  and  boots,  and 
the  sleigh  which  he  used  when  he  was  a little  boy ; 
the  bed  in  which  Napoleon  slept  when  in  Moscow, 
and  the  smaller  bed  of  his  field-marshal,  Ney. 
There  were  armor  and  other  relics  of  the  crusaders, 
the  private  chapel  and  rooms  of  Ivan  “the  Terri- 
ble,” flags,  helmets,  guns,  swords,  shields  and 
quivers  embroidered  and  jeweled.  There  were 
many  thrones,  each  of  which  had  been  used  by  a 
different  czar.  One  of  these  was  made  of  ivory. 
There  were  the  gowns  worn  by  the  present  em- 
peror and  his  mother  at  the  coronation ; also 
gowns  of  the  patriarchs,  and  their  Bible  with  its 
binding  glittering  with  diamonds.  We  saw  many 
crowns  sparkling  with  diamonds  and  jewels,  each  of 
which  had  been  taken  by  the  Russians  from  the  king 
of  some  tribes  in  Central  Asia.  Perhaps  the  most 
interesting  of  all,  at  least  to  the  Swedes  in  our  party, 
were  the  chair  and  relics  of  Charles  XII  of  Sweden, 
together  with  his  swords  and  guns  lost  at  the  battle 
of  Pultawa,  of  which  it  has  been  said : — “At  that 
chair  began  the  greatness  of  Russia,  and  the  down- 
fall of  Sweden.” 

At  the  United  States  consulate  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Samuel  Smith  welcomed  us,  and  we  heard  the 
American  news,  and  saw  the  newspapers.  This,  to 


328 


A Flight  for  Life 


us  pilgrims,  was  no  small  treat.  In  the  evening  our 
whole  party  went  to  the  depot  in  haste  for  the  train, 
having  made  arrangements  by  telephone  for  a spe- 
cial car.  Contrary  to  our  expectations,  no  such  car 
was  there,  and  there  was  no  room  for  us  on  the 
train.  We  were  so  many,  and  necessarily  had  so 
much  luggage,  that  we  could  not  crowd  in,  where 
a smaller  number  of  persons  might  have  done  so. 
The  American  consul,  Mr.  Thomas  Smith,  had 
come  to  the  station  to  see  us  start  for  St.  Peters- 
burg. With  so  many  ladies  and  children  in  the 
party,  it  was  no  small  disappointment  not  to  be 
able  to  take  the  train.  Before  we  could  decide 
what  to  do,  Consul  Smith,  with  Mr.  Lewis  B. 
Brown,  of  New  York,  Mr.  Albert  L.  Nickerson,  of 
Boston,  and  Mr.  C.  W.  Purington,  of  Harvard 
’93,  had  engaged  a special  car  for  us,  on  a fast 
train  to  leave  a few  hours  later,  and  arrive  at  the 
capital  about  the  same  time  as  the  train  we  had 
lost.  For  this  privilege  they  paid  fifty  rubles,  which 
they  would  not  permit  us  to  refund.  We  were 
most  grateful  for  this  opportune  and  unexpected 
help. 

After  a night’s  sleep  on  the  cars,  we  were  in  St. 
Petersburg.  We  visited  the  palace,  and  the  picture 
gallery  of  the  Hermitage,  and  saw  wonders  too 


Farewell 


329 


numerous  to  relate.  At  the  United  States  em- 
bassy, we  were  most  happy  to  see  the  charge 
d’  affaires,  the  Hon.  Herbert  H.  D.  Pierce, — a splen- 
did man,  and  a worthy  representative  of  his  coun- 
try,— who,  in  telegraphing  to  America  and  Siberia, 
had  been  very  helpful  to  us.  Rev.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
King,  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  and 
Rev.  Franklin  Gaylord,  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  also 
merit  our  thanks  for  many  favors.  While  in  this 
city,  we  heard  of  the  terrible  massacres  in  Paoting- 
fu,  which  caused  us  a sorrow  that  no  words  could 
express. 

On  the  evening  of  the  nineteenth,  the  American 
Board  party  left  St.  Petersburg,  to  go  to  New  York 
by  way  of  Berlin  and  London.  Dr.  King  and  Mr. 
Nastegard  went  with  us  to  the  train.  The  immense 
depot  was  crowded  with  people,  the  most  of  whom 
seemed  to  be  peasants  or  emigrants.  We  parted 
from  our  Swedish  traveling  companions  with  min- 
gled joy  and  sorrow; — joy,  that  we  all  had  been 
delivered  from  the  Boxers,  and  from  the  perils  of 
the  desert,  and  were  nearing  our  homes ; and  sor- 
row, because  we  might  not  meet  again.  Miss  Engh 
was  to  go  to  Sweden  with  Mr.  Nastegard  and  all 
the  other  missionaries.  All  were  in  good  health, 
except  little  David  and  Jonathan  Lundquist,  who 


330 


A Flight  for  Life 


had  been  ill  ever  since  they  were  in  Gobi.  Our 
American  party  reached  New  York  on  the  eighth  of 
October,  and  soon  after  were  at  our  homes. 

Farewell,  Larson!  Farewell,  Nastegard!  Time 
and  distance  enhance  our  appreciation  of  your 
noble  services.  For  your  arduous  toil  and  unfailing 
kindness  and  great  achievements,  you  merit  our 
lifelong  gratitude.  Farewell,  all  ye  brethren  of  our 
“combination,”  who  together  experienced  so  many 
tribulations  and  joys.  To  Him  who  has  saved  us 
by  so  many  special  providences,  will  we  conse- 
crate ourselves  anew  in  a perpetual  covenant. 
May  the  kind  hand  of  the  Lord,  which  has  helped 
us  in  the  past,  lead  each  one  through  all  the 
journey  of  life,  until  we  meet  in  a “better  coun- 
try !” 

Farewell,  ye  beloved  friends,  who  for  Christ’s 
sake  have  laid  down  your  lives  in  China.  We  will 
meet  you  again  in  glory,  “where  the  wicked  cease 
from  troubling,  and  the  weary  are  at  rest.” 

Farewell  to  the  past,  the  conservatism  and  stag- 
nation of  China ! Welcome,  the  future  of  progress, 
and  true  civilization,  and  complete  redemption, — 


Farewell 


33i 


when  the  millions  of  China  shall  no  longer  look  to 
the  ancient  times  for  the  Golden  Age,  but  shall 
find  it  in  a new  millennium ; when  the  vices  and 
cruelties,  the  sins  and  sorrows,  of  the  China  that 
now  is,  shall  have  forever  passed  away. 


Fxp/anat/oMS 


APPENDIXES 


APPENDIX  A 


ADDITIONAL  NOTES  AND  ITEMS 

THE  NUMBER  OF  COSSACKS. 

The  number  of  Cossacks  sent  into  Mongolia  to  protect 
us  has  been  stated  as  350.  I counted  the  ranks  and  files 
as  they  passed,  and  found  the  total  to  be  160,  exclusive  of 
officers.  First  came  five  men,  three  together,  and  one  at  a 
distance  on  each  side;  then  twenty-five;  after  an  interval 
of  half  a mile  or  more,  one  hundred;  and  later  twenty-five, 
with  five  scouts  in  the  rear,  deployed  like  those  in  front. 
On  discussing  the  matter  with  the  prominent  members  of 
the  caravan,  they  uniformly  insisted  that  there  were  three 
hundred  and  fifty.  My  conclusion  was  that  some  must 
have  passed  us  in  the  night,  or  by  some  other  route. 

THE  POPULATION  OF  MOSCOW 
The  population  of  Moscow  is  given  in  atlases  as  989,000, 
but  Mr.  Nastegard  told  me  that  it  was  two  millions.  The 
explanation  may  be  that  it  is  a rapidly  growing  city,  as  it 
appeared  to  be,  judging  by  the  miles  of  factories  seen  in 
the  suburbs.  The  real  number  of  persons  doubtless  is  be- 
tween the  two  estimates.  So  the  population  of  Siberia  is 
sometimes  given  as  five  millions,  and  again  as  nineteen  mil- 
lions. The  figures  in  books  are  always  below  the  real  num- 
bers, as  regards  new  countries  or  growing  cities. 

335 


336 


Appendix  A 


ST.  PAUL'S 

St.  Paul’s  cathedral,  considered  in  itself,  is  grand;  but 
the  interior  is  dim,  and  the  exterior  blackened  with  smoke. 
The  historical  monuments  in  it  are  most  interesting,  and 
of  course  are  such  as  could  not  be  found  in  a new  cathe- 
dral. Nevertheless  the  one  in  Moscow  was  by  far  the 
more  pleasing  and  inspiring  sight. 

THE  SICK  CHILDREN 

Later  news  as  to  David  and  Jonathan  Lundquist  informs 
us  that  they  both  recovered  good  health  in  Sweden,  and 
also  had  the  joy  of  welcoming  a new  little  sister. 

A FEW  SIGHTS  IN  ST.  PETERSBURG 

In  the  picture  gallery  of  the  Hermitage  we  seemed  to 
go  through  miles  of  halls  lined  with  paintings.  It  was  be- 
wildering, and  tantalizing,  to  have  so  little  time  to  see  them. 
Certain  pictures  remain  in  one’s  memory,  after  the  others 
have  faded.  In  one  hall  there  were  many  pictures  of 
wolves.  Though  we  knew  they  were  only  painted,  they 
were  so  lifelike  that  it  was  a relief  to  the  nerves  to  pass  on. 
Other  pictures  displayed  numbers  of  persons  on  horseback, 
drawn  life-size,  and  the  horses  seemed  to  be  prancing  right 
into  the  room. 

In  the  adjoining  palace  we  were  taken  through  halls  with 
exquisite  inlaid  floors,  and  saw  most  beautiful  medallions, 
statues,  suits  of  armor,  electric  chandeliers  with  glass  pend- 
ants and  portraits  of  the  royal  family.  That  of  Peter  the 
Great  was  most  attractive,  showing  him  as  a person  alert,  firm 
yet  gentle,  and  one  whom  it  would  be  easy  to  trust  and  fol- 
low. In  the  church  there  were  relics  in  a gold  case, 


Additional  Notes  and  Items 


337 


among  which  were  two  shriveled  hands,  one  said  to  be  that 
of  John  the  Baptist,  and  the  other  that  of  Mary;  and 
there  was  a piece  of  wood,  said  to  have  been  taken  from 
the  cross  of  Jesus  Christ ! There  was  also  a dish  of  gold, 
with  the  apostles  in  relief,  said  to  have  been  used  by  our 
Saviour. 

We  saw  the  Record  Book  of  all  the  czars,  many  paint- 
ings of  battles,  the  plates  used  at  the  coronation  in  1894,  and 
to  our  surprise,  here,  as  in  Moscow,  we  saw  the  chair  of 
Charles  XII  of  Sweden ! There  was  a Krupp  gun,  present- 
ed to  the  reigning  czar  by  Emperor  William,  and  the  writ- 
ing table  and  Bible  of  Alexander  II,  and  his  last  cigarette. 
One  very  interesting  picture  portrayed  the  forests  in  the 
midst  of  which  St.  Petersburg  was  founded,  and  a ship  be- 
ing built  for  Peter  the  Great.  Another,  perhaps  the 
most  impressive  of  all,  showed  a meeting  of  the  czar  with 
peasants;  the  scene  was  most  lifelike,  the  colors  resplen- 
dent, and  the  work  of  the  artist  had  been  done  so  skilfully 
that  we  seemed  to  see  the  persons  themselves,  and  expected 
to  hear  them  speak. 

HOW  THE  KALGAN  CHRISTIANS  FARED 

Seventeen  days  after  we  fled  to  the  yamen,  our  houses 
were  looted.  The  H’siem  mandarin  defended  them  as  long 
as  he  could.  The  previous  day  the  telegraph  office  was  at- 
tacked. This  gave  warning  to  the  few  Christians  who  had 
returned  to  our  Mission  premises,  and,  with  the  connivance 
of  the  officials,  they  jumped  over  the  wall  in  the  night 
and  escaped.  The  looting  continued  ten  days,  and  on  the 
15th  day  of  the  sixth  moon,  about  July  10,  our  houses 
were  burned.  The  Boxers  destroyed  so  much  property  that 


338 


Appendix  A 


the  people  of  Kalgan  had  to  assert  their  rights,  and  on  the 
19th  day  of  the  same  moon  the  authorities  led  forth  a new 
little  army  quickly  drilled  in  foreign  style,  and  fought  the 
Boxers,  killing  thirty  or  more  of  the  leaders,  and  putting 
many  in  prison. 

The  Christians  dispersed  to  places  of  concealment,  among 
the  mountains,  in  Mongolia,  or  at  their  homes  south  of 
Kalgan.  A native  preacher  of  the  Christian  Alliance  Mis- 
sion fled  with  his  family  from  Hsiian  Hua  Fu,  and  all  were 
murdered  in  a village  not  far  from  that  city.  The  Roman 
Catholics  were  driven  from  their  cathedral  and  forced  to 
take  refuge  among  the  mountains,  but  punished  the  Box- 
ers so  severely  that  the  latter  were  glad  to  let  them  alone. 
With  this  exception,  no  blood  of  Christians  was  shed  with- 
in fifty  miles  of  Kalgan. 

The  case  was  different  at  the  village  of  Azure  Hill 
(Ch’ing  K'o  Ta).  The  most  of  the  Christians  stayed  at 
their  homes,  and  the  Boxers  of  a neighboring  village,  after 
being  called  five  times  by  the  heathen  of  Azure  Hill,  at 
last  attacked  them.  They  fled  in  two  companies  toward 
the  mountains,  but  were  overtaken,  and  were  not  permit- 
ted to  recant.  They  knelt  and  begged  that  their  lives  might 
be  spared,  but  sixteen  were  slaughtered,  none  surviving  ex- 
cept a few  who  feigned  death. 

Farther  south,  two  companies  of  Christians  hid  them- 
selves in  valleys  among  the  mountains,  and  were  fed  by 
compassionate  heathen  neighbors,  who  took  food  to  them  by 
night,  at  the  risk  of  their  own  lives. 

Others  fled  northeast  to  Red  City  (Ch’ih  Ch’eng  Hsien), 
where  the  magistrate  caught  and  punished  all  the  Boxers, 


Additional  Notes  and  Items 


339 


with  the  result  that  his  district  was  quiet.  Some  Chris- 
tians hid  in  the  hemp  or  sorghum  growing  in  the  fields,  and 
ate  cold  food  for  a month,  to  the  permanent  injury  of  their 
health,  or  made  themselves  lame  for  life,  climbing  the 
mountains  in  haste,  to  escape  from  their  pursuers.  More 
than  one  infant  was  sacrificed  to  prevent  whole  families 
from  being  betrayed  by  their  cries.  Perhaps  the  saddest 
case  of  ail  was  that  of  six  Christian  women  in  Yiicho,  who 
were  buried  alive  in  a well.  The  most  of  these  horrors 
might  have  been  avoided  if  the  Christians  had  been  will- 
ing to  renounce  their  faith.  That  they  did  not  do  so  shows 
the  moral  fiber  of  this  people,  as  well  as  the  sustaining 
grace  of  God. 


APPENDIX  B 


THE  MARTYRS  NEAR  THE  GREAT  WALL 

The  marvel  of  our  escape  is  shown  in  the  fate  of  the 
other  missionaries  living  near  the  Great  Wall. 

The  death  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bingmark  and  two  children, 
and  the  narrow  escape  of  the  Oberg  Party  and  Mr.  Fager- 
holm,  have  been  described. 

The  China  Inland  missionaries  at  Ta  T’ung  Fu,  number- 
ing six  adults  and  four  children,  after  ten  days  of  suf- 
fering at  the  yamen,  were  told  that  they  could  no  longer 
be  protected,  and  were  sent  to  their  home.  The  next  day 
the  place  was  surrounded  with  soldiers,  to  prevent  egress, 
while  the  Boxers  burned  the  missionaries  in  their  own 
house. 

Miss  Gustafson,  who  lived  alone  in  Tung  Ching  Tzu,  forty 
miles  southeast  of  Ta  T’ung,  fled  eastward  toward  Kalgan, 
perhaps  thinking  she  might  reach  the  coast.  After  going 
seven  miles,  she  was  robbed  of  her  donkey  and  silver,  and 
her  servant  went  into  the  city  of  Hsi  Ning,  to  complain  to 
the  official.  Having  gone  three  miles  farther,  while  passing 
through  the  village  of  Hsia  Hsin  Chuang,  she  was  killed, 
and  thrown  into  the  Sang  Kan  River. 

The  Swedish  missionaries  of  the  Holiness  Union,  in 
northern  Shansi,  were  driven  from  their  homes  in  Hun 
Yuan  Chou,  Ying  Chou  and  Tso  Yiin,  and  gathered  at 

340 


The  Martyrs  Near  the  Great  Wall  341 

Shuo  P’ing  Fu.  After  suffering  days  of  privation  and 
insult  in  the  yamen,  they  were  handcuffed  and  chained, 
under  pretence  of  being  sent  as  criminals  to  Peking,  and 
were  slain  soon  after  leaving  the  city. 

At  Kui  Hua  Ch’eng,  both  the  Mission  Stations  were  at- 
tacked by  mobs  June  24,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Olson,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lundberg  and  Miss  Erickson  went  to  the  yamen, 
where  the  Hsien  mandarin  received  them  in  a friendly 
manner.  A draft  of  Mr.  Stenberg’s  Mongol  Mission  hav- 
ing come  to  hand,  Mr.  Olson  was  under  the  necessity  of 
giving  it  as  security  to  the  official,  in  borrowing  from  him 
$500.  Besides  this,  he  pawned  the  Mission  houses  and  goods 
for  $800.  Having  hired  camels  to  take  his  party  to  Urga, 
they  left  Kui  Hua  July  1st,  and  the  next  day  they  reached 
Koko  Iligeng,  thirty  miles  to  the  northwest.  Soldiers  were 
sent  to  protect  them.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  joined  them 
there,  having  come  from  Toto  City  with  two  soldiers  and 
helper  Su.  There  was  delay  in  getting  the  necessary  number 
of  camels.  After  two  days,  Boxers  came  and  began  drill- 
ing at  Koko  Iligeng.  In  the  evening  four  men  came  from 
Kui  Hua,  saying  that  the  Taotai  had  sent  them,  to  see 
whether  Russian  soldiers  were  coming  from  the  north. 
They  made  such  a disturbance  that  Mr.  Olson  gave  them 
each  500  cash  to  quiet  them.  He  sent  Su  twice  to  Kui 
Hua,  to  hasten  the  camels,  and  on  July  12’  they  came, 
with  bags  of  rice  and  flour,  trunks,  tents,  and  other  bag- 
gage. The  drivers  would  not  start  for  Urga  unless  a 
fee  should  be  paid  to  the  brigands  to  ensure  protection. 
After  much  argument,  seeing  no  other  way  to  get  started, 
Mr.  Olson  gave  $39  for  this  insurance.  He  also  hired  three 


342 


Appendix  B 


soldiers  to  accompany  them  five  days  on  the  way  toward 
Urga. 

Late  in  the  evening  of  July  13,  they  started  and  went 
twenty  li,  four  men  riding  camels,  and  two  camels  hauling 
carts.  The  next  day  they  went  the  same  distance,  and 
stopped  at  sunset,  whereas  they  should  have  traveled  all 
night.  Either  the  drivers  were  in  league  with  the  robbers, 
or  they  were  acting  under  orders  from  the  Taotai.  The 
third  day  also  they  went  only  twenty  li  (7  miles),  when  the 
drivers  said  that  the  camels  must  rest.  In  the  evening  a 
shot  was  heard,  and  men  appeared,  who  said  they  were 
sent  by  the  Taotai,  to  kill  them  or  bring  them  back.  They 
bound  Mr.  Lundberg’s  hands  behind  his  back.  Miss  Erick- 
son hid  herself  in  a sheepfold.  Silver  was  demanded  and 
searched  for;  Mr.  Olson  opened  a trunk,  and  the  men, 
seven  or  eight  in  number,  took  the  silver  out.  Then  the 
drivers  led  away  the  camels,  some  carrying  loads  of  food, 
and  went  toward  Kui  Hua.  Mr.  Olson  sent  a servant 
named  “72”,  to  ask  an  official  to  compel  the  camel-men  to 
fulfil  their  contract.  This  servant  was  an  eye-witness  of 
the  robbery,  and  from  him  the  particulars  of  the  sad  stoiy 
were  obtained.  After  going  seven  miles,  he  overtook  the 
camels,  but  could  not  persuade  the  men  to  go  back.  On 
reaching  Kui  Hua,  he  learned  of  the  murder  of  Captain  Watts 
Jones,  of  the  British  Royal  Engineers,  who  had  come  over- 
land from  India,  and  was  killed  at  the  yamen  at  Kui  Hua, 
the  same  day  that  Mr.  Olson  was  robbed.  At  such  a time, 
it  was  impossible  for  “72”  to  get  any  help  from  the  officials. 

Again  Mr.  Olson  was  robbed,  the  thieves  bringing  their 
own  animals,  loading  up  his  carts,  and  hauling  them  away. 


The  Martyrs  Near  the  Great  W all 


343 


Then  the  missionaries  returned  to  Wu-la-pa-lao,  twenty 
miles  from  Kui  Hua.  They  had  lost  the  best  of  their 
clothing,  and  were  begging  their  food,  and  sometimes  eating 
grass  and  leaves.  A man  tending  horses  at  pasture  told 
this  to  “72”1  At  one  place  a beggar  asked  Mrs.  Olson  to 
give  him  some  food ; she  brought  out  a little  bag  of  rice, 
and  said:  “Take  this;  it  is  all  we  have.”  Instead  of  taking 
it,  he  gave  her  what  he  had.  A Mongol  priest  rented  to 
Mr.  Olson  a little  house  hidden  in  a cleft,  and  lent  him  a 
cooking-pot,  and  there  the  party  stayed  two  or  three  days. 
Then,  about  August  5,  the  Roman  Catholics  from  T’ien-ke- 
tan-kou,  who  had  made  three  previous  efforts  to  find  them, 
came  with  an  ox-cart,  and  took  them  to  their  Station,  fifty- 
seven  miles  away, — a journey  of  three  days.  There  they 
lived  in  peace  for  fourteen  days. 

On  the  28th  day  of  the  7th  moon,  Boxers  and  soldiers 
from  Kui  Hua  arrived,  and  the  next  day  at  noon  they  at- 
tacked the  Station.  The  Catholics  numbered  800  or  900 
men,  women  and  children.  At  first  they  made  a good 
struggle,  but  the  enemy  set  the  Station  on  fire  from  the 
rear.  Those  trying  to  flee  were  caught  and  killed.  Some 
say  that  Mrs.  Olson  and  two  children  rode  out  on  a horse, 
but  were  taken.  It  is  also  reported  that  Mr.  Olson  and 
Mr.  Lundberg’s  daughter  “Peach  Blossom”  came  out,  and 
were  seized,  whereupon  the  military  leader  shouted : “Do 
not  kill  the  Protestants!”  Nevertheless  he  afterwards 
asked  the  Taotai,  and  was  compelled  to  kill  them.  The 

1 The  use  of  a number  as  a person’s  name  is  a method  of 
honoring  a grandparent,  and  commemorating  the  age  of 
the  latter  at  the  time  when  the  child  was  born. 


344 


Appendix  B 


other  missionaries  were  burned  with  the  Catholics  in  their 
Station. 

On  hearing  of  the  riots  at  places  farther  east,  the  mis- 
sionaries living  west  of  Kui  Hua  fled  to  Pao  T’ou.  On 
June  27  there  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blumberg  and  one 
child,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Helleberg  and  one  child,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Noren  and  two  children,  Messrs.  Palm  and  Wahlstadt,  and 
Misses  Clara  Hall  and  Christina  Orn.  A mob  collecting  at 
their  door,  Messrs.  Helleberg  and  Palm  got  ten  soldiers  to 
protect  them.  Just  as  two  Chinese  Christians  were  hiring 
carts  to  take  the  missionaries  to  Pa-tzu-pu-lung,  one  hun- 
dred and  seven  miles  farther  inland,  Mr.  Stenberg  arrived 
from  that  place.  The  next  morning,  June  28,  all  started 
together,  with  their  baggage  and  supplies  of  food,  and 
were  escorted  out  two  miles  by  soldiers.  On  the  30th 
they  arrived  at  their  destination,  and  settled  down  to  live 
in  a newly  built  and  unfinished  house,  Stenberg  and  Palm 
living  in  tents.  It  was  peaceful,  except  that  there  were  ru- 
mors of  killing  foreigners.  Here  two  of  the  children  died 
of  smallpox.  The  missionaries  thought  best  to  leave  that 
place,  and  go  to  Wu-la-pa-erh,  where  Miss  Anna  Lund  and 
Misses  Clara  and  Hilda  Anderson  were  living.  They  hired 
carts  for  that  purpose,  but  before  they  could  start,  five  or  six 
soldiers.  On  July  27  the  missionaries  sent  a messenger  to 
their  going.  However,  before  this,  Messrs.  Stenberg,  Palm 
and  Wahlstadt  had  gone  to  Wu-la-pa-erh  with  an  escort  of 
soldiers.  On  July  27  the  missionaries  sent  a messenger  to 
Ta  She  T’ai,  asking  that  the  soldiers  might  take  them  all  to 
Wu-la-pa-erh;  but  the  request  was  denied,  and  the  presents 
of  maps,  a watch  and  spoons,  were  refused.  Then  the  mis- 


The  Martyrs  Near  the  Great  Wall  345 

sionaries  decided  to  hire  five  soldiers  themselves,  and  go  to 
join  the  others.  Before  this  could  be  done,  four  robbers  came 
from  Pao  T’ou,  saying  that  they  were  sent  by  the  mandarin, 
and  arrested  two  servants.  Five  taels  of  silver,  a watch,  a fur 
gown  and  other  clothing  were  given  to  have  one  man  re- 
leased. They  took  the  other  to  Pao  T’ou,  beat  him,  and 
let  him  go. 

As  the  situation  was  becoming  more  critical,  and  further 
robbery  was  feared,  the  missionaries  went  to  Ta  She  T’ai, 
thirty-three  miles  to  the  south,  the  soldiers  trying  in  vain 
to  hinder  them.  On  July  30  they  were  led  into  the  camp, 
and  became  both  guests  and  prisoners, — the  same  day  that 
the  Larson  caravan  entered  Urga.  In  September  General 
Nieh  was  summoned  from  that  place,  to  go  and  see  the 
Taotai  in  Kui  Hua.  He  compelled  the  missionaries  to  go 
with  him,  starting  September  4.  After  going  fifty  miles, 
they  were  told  that  the  Boxers  at  Pao  T’ou  would  surely 
kill  them,  and  made  such  strenuous  objections  to  going  on 
that  the  general  sent  them  back  with  a guard  of  four  sol- 
diers. They  arrived  in  camp  September  10.  At  Kui  Hua 
the  Taotai  asked  Nieh  if  he  had  killed  the  foreigners  in  his 
camp,  and  he  dared  not  do  otherwise  than  say  “Yes.”  He 
was  ordered  to  another  place,  and  sent  a letter  to  his  wife 
at  Ta  She  T’ai,  bidding  her  to  have  the  missionaries  slain. 
Soon  afterward  some  Manchu  soldiers  and  Boxers  came  to 
the  camp,  and  plotted  for  their  death.  They  arranged  that 
Mrs.  Nieh  should  send  off  the  captives,  as  if  helping  them 
to  go  to  Urga,  and  they  themselves  would  be  in  ambush 
at  a distance  of  seven  miles.  This  was  done,  and  the 
party  started  on  September  21,  using  their  own  animals 


346 


Appendix  B 


and  carts,  and  doubtless  happy  in  the  thought  that  they 
were  going  to  a place  of  safety.  After  going  a few  miles, 
they  were  attacked  with  guns  and  swords,  and  put  to 
death.  The  soldiers  escorting  them  helped  in  the  massacre 
and  shared  the  spoils.  This  was  on  the  day  when  the 
American  Board  party  were  in  Berlin,  Germany.  Alas  for 
our  beloved  friends  1 Would  that  they  might  have  fled  early, 
and  gone  with  us! 

Messrs.  Stenberg,  Palm  and  Wahlstadt,  with  the  Ander- 
son sisters  and  Miss  Lund,  lived  on  in  peace  at  Wu-la-pa- 
erh  until  the  20th  day  of  the  7th  moon,  about  Aug.  15. 
Then  they  received  word  from  the  Catholics  near  them, 
telling  of  the*  destruction  wrought  in  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, and  saying  that  the  foreigners  there  were  going  away 
the  same  day. 

Two  days  later  Mr.  Stenberg  gave  his  deeds  of  land  and 
all  of  his  animals  to  one  of  his  friends,  a carpenter  “'Chang,” 
who  would  care  for  them.  The  same  day  men  came  from 
the  Mongolian  mandarin,  and  some  from  a widow,  Mrs. 
Ya,  to  loot  the  place,  but  went  back  without  taking  any- 
thing. The  missionaries  watched  the  whole  night.  It  was 
said  that  Boxers  and  soldiers  would  come  to  kill  them  the 
next  day. 

Early  in  the  morning  they  took  some  bedding  and  food, 
and  went  a short  distance,  to  hide  in  a dry  river  bed.  The 
carpenter  Chang  visited  them  there.  From  their  concealed 
position,  they  saw  the  carts  of  the  mandarin  and  of  Mrs. 
Ya  go  off  loaded  with  things  from  their  Station.  Their 
horses  were  brought  to  their  hiding-place,  and  loaded  with 
their  baggage,  and  the  party  started  for  Urga.  Besides 


The  Martyrs  Near  the  Great  Wall 


347 


the  missionaries,  there  was  a Mongol  girl  called  Halahan. 
Each  person  had  a horse  to  ride.  They  went  in  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon,  escorted  by  Chang  a few  miles.  Mr. 
Stenberg  knew  nothing  about  the  other  missionaries  from 
Pao  T’ou.  He  said  that  they  should  go  seven  miles  into 
the  mountains,  and  send  back  a messenger  to  see  whether 
Boxers  and  soldiers  really  had  come;  if  not,  they  would 
return  to  the  Station. 

After  they  had  gone,  the  mandarin  Daraji  (Ta-la-tsie) 
sent  his  servants  to  call  them  back.  They  found  them 
at  Yen  Sheng  Ho,  five  miles  away,  where  our  friends 
had  some  land,  and  a half-built  house.  Stenberg  and 
Palm  went  back,  but  on  reaching  their  old  home  were 
seized  by  the  mandarin,  and  threatened  with  instant  death. 
After  much  talk,  and  knocking  of  their  heads  on 
the  ground,  they  were  allowed  to  go  away.  When  they 
rejoined  the  others,  their  horses  and  other  things  were 
stolen. 

On  the  25th,  Mr.  Chang,  having  heard  what  had  happened, 
brought  food  to  them  at  Yen  Sheng  Ho.  He  found 
the  house  empty,  there  being  nothing  left  but  a Chinese 
cooking-pot.  He  got  up  on  the  roof  and  shouted,  where- 
upon Mr.  Stenberg  came  out  of  the  high  grass.  As  he 
grasped  Chang’s  hand,  he  could  not  refrain  from  crying. 
They  called  the  others  to  the  house,  and  all  in  tears  ate  the 
food  that  Chang  had  brought.  He  repeated  this  favor  each 
of  the  next  few  days,  and  promised  them  a horse  and  some 
provisions,  if  they  should  decide  to  go  away;  but  on  the 
1st  day  of  the  8th  moon  Stenberg  sent  him  word  that  he 
need  not  send  any  more  food,  for  they  still  had  fifty  taels, 


34^ 


Appendix  B 


with  which  they  should  buy  a horse  and  food.  They  were 
intending  to  go  at  once  to  Urga. 

The  next  day  the  mandarin  sent  men  to  rob  them,  and 
nothing  was  left  but  the  clothes  they  were  wearing.  While 
wandering  around,  they  had  met  one  of  their  Mongol  serv- 
ants, named  “69,”  who  afterward  died  with  them.  He 
advised  them  not  to  go  away,  but  to  go  to  the  mandarin, 
and  appeal  to  him  for  protection;  if  he  would  not  grant 
it,  they  might  as  well  die  there  as  anywhere  else.  They  fol- 
lowed this  advice.  The  mandarin  is  said  to  have  received 
them,  given  them  a tent,  and  promised  protection.  Also 
he  doubtless  gave  them  food.  There  they  hid  until  about 
September  17  (the  third  day  of  the  intercalary  eighth  moon), 
when  they  were  murdered.  At  that  time  the  Larson  party 
had  reached  St.  Petersburg. 

Before  this  massacre,  as  we  suppose,  Messrs.  Friedstrom 
and  Suber  returned  from  Uliassutai  in  the  north,  and  Suber 
went  to  see  Stenberg.  The  mandarin  said  that  he  should  be 
taken  to  the  place  where  his  friends  were,  but  sent  soldiers 
on  before  to  the  mountains,  where  they  killed  him  on  his 
arrival. 

Soldiers  were  also  sent  to  kill  Friedstrom.  They  fol- 
lowed him  two  days,  after  which  they  returned,  saying  that 
they  could  not  find  him. 

The  carpenter  Chang  was  robbed  of  both  Stenberg’s  and 
his  own  things,  and  had  to  suffer  a great  deal  because  he 
was  friendly  to  the  missionaries. 

This  account  of  the  sufferings  of  Stenberg’s  party  was 
obtained  by  Mr.  Soderbom  in  1902  from  the  natives  at  Pao 
T’ou. 


APPENDIX  C 


A BOXER  PRAYER  FROM  YOCHO 

The  god  of  wealth,  who  adds  to  our  happiness  sends 
down  this  command.  Ah-er-la-so  Kung-tai  strikes  the  gate. 
We  learners  knock  our  heads  (on  the  ground)  and  pray. 
We  thrice  invite  the  Holy  Mothers,  K’ang  Seng,  Sha  Seng, 
Pa  Chieh1  and  Wu  K’ung,2  no  matter  which  one;  we  pray 
you  to  send  down  a divine  spirit.  We  call  upon  Heaven, 
and  the  gate  of  heaven  opens ; we  call  upon  Earth,  and  the 
gate  of  earth  closes.  We  want  to  learn  the  complete  art  of 
the  Classics,  and  therefore  call  down  a teacher.  Ah-er- 
heng-hsi,3  we  pray  you  to  intercede  much  with  the  Holy 
Mothers;  Ah-er-heng-tai,  we  pray  you  to  worship  much 
the  ancient  ancestors.  On  the  stone  mountain  the  stone  gate 
opens,  and  we  twice  call  upon  our  ancient  Mother;  on  the 
stone  mountain  the  stone  gate  breaks  in  pieces,  and  we 
twice  call  upon  our  ancient  Teacher  and  ancient  Mother. 
The  felt4  mountain  keeps  the  art.  T’ang  Seng,  Sha  Seng, 
Pa  Chieh,  Wu  K’ung,  divine  persons  riding  the  flying 
horses, — O my  ancient  ancestor,  how  quickly  the  eight  di- 

1 Pa  Chieh  means  Eight  Commandments. 

2Wu  K’ung  means  Discerner  of  Vanity. 

3 Heng  is  pronounced  hung;  seng,  sung;  hsi,  see;  ch’i, 
chee;  p’o,  poa;  pei,  bay;  and  pa,  ba. 

4 Felt,  that  is  made  from  wool. 

349 


350 


Appendix  C 


agrams1  respond ! Ah-er-la-p’o,  thou  Holy  Mother  that 
leavest  the  mountain, — T’ang  Seng,  Sha  Seng,  Pa  Chieh, 
Wu  K’ung,  Nan-wu-ch’i-tai,  much  worship  the  ancient  an- 
cestors. The  peacock  illumines  the  chosen  ground.  We 
learners  knock  our  heads  and  pray, — no  matter  which  one 
of  you, — we  pray  you  to  come  down  from  the  mountains. 
Nan-wu-hsi-pei,  much  worship  Ta-mo.  We  want  to  go  up 
to  the  Western  Heaven.2 


1 The  eight  diagrams  are  an  ancient  means  of  divina- 
tion. 

2 We  cannot  help  thinking,  that  such  a prayer  as  this  re- 
peated several  times,  might  easily  put  one  in  an  abnormal 
frame  of  mind. 


APPENDIX  D 


MONGOLIA  BEFORE  THE  MONGOLS 

The  people  living  north  of  China  in  ancient  times  were 
called  Hsiung-nu,  “Fierce  Slaves,”  and  are  supposed  to  have 
been  the  Huns.  The  Great  Wall  was  built  B.C.  214-204, 
to  prevent  their  incursions.  The  nomads  of  the  north  al- 
ways envied  the  w'ealth  of  the  Chinese  acquired  by  agri- 
culture and  the  arts  of  a comparatively  civilized  life.  As 
they  made  their  raids  on  horseback,  the  wall  was  built  from 
ten  to  twenty  feet  in  height,  with  a special  design  of 
stopping  cavalry. 

In  A.D.  265  to  280,  the  Huns  invaded  China,  and  one  of 
them,  Liu  Tsung,  built  a palace  at  Ch’ang-an  (Si-an  Fu), 
and  reigned  in  grandeur  amid  ten  thousand  of  his  followers, 
having  a bodyguard  of  women. 

Between  the  years  386  and  534,  the  Huns  ruled  the 
northwest  of  China,  under  the  name  of  the  Wei  kingdom. 
Trade  was  carried  on  with  tribes  beyond  Lake  Baikal  and 
the  Obi  River,  and  from  the  Caspian  Sea  to  Corea.  The 
report  rendered  by  an  officer,  Tai  Wu,  424-451,  who  was 
sent  to  travel  through  the  kingdom  and  describe  it,  is 
still  extant. 

In  627  Mongolia  was  included  in  the  Chinese  empire, 
ruled  by  the  T’ang  dynasty. 

Three  Tartar  kingdoms,  called  the  Hsia,  Liao  and  Kin, 

351 


352 


Appendix  D 


ruled  portions  of  China  between  913  and  1235  A.D.  The 
histories  of  China  and  Mongolia  are  closely  interwoven, 
because  each  country  ruled  the  other  when  it  had  the 
power. 

The  Hsia  kingdom  held  sway  in  the  northwest  of  China, 
until  it  was  conquered  by  the  Sung  emperor,  Chen-tsung, 
about  1000  A.D. 

Shortly  before,  the  Kitan  Tartar  Kingdom  called  Liao 
controlled  the  northeast  of  China,  and  forced  the  emperor, 
in  A.D.  936,  to  give  it  “sixteen  cities  in  Chihli,  and  an  an- 
nual tribute  of  three  hundred  thousand  pieces  of  silk.”  This 
kingdom  was  overthrown  by  the  Mongols  in  the  year  1201. 

Meantime  the  Kin,  the  ancestors  of  the  Manchus,  having 
established  themselves  at  Peking  in  1118,  carried  away  the 
Chinese  emperor  in  1125,  and  his  son  the  next  year.  In 
1228  the  Emperor  Ning-tsung  engaged  the  help  of  the  Mon- 
gols against  the  Kin,  and  in  1235,  under  the  leadership  of 
Genghis  Khan,  they  drove  them  out  of  Peking  and  the  Kin 
kingdom  came  to  an  end. 


APPENDIX 


The  Itinerary  of  the  Flight 


353 


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24,  Tues.  Noon  “ Tuerin  River,  Welcome  Camp  30  1660 

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The  Itinerary  of  the  Flight 


355 


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Night  “ Musquito  Camp  10  280 


Date  Place  Day’s  March  From  Urga 

Aug.  8,  Wed.  Noon  at  Business  Session  Camp  40  32° 

Night  “ Seventh  Station  Camp  60  380 


356 


Appendix  E 


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The  Itinerary  of  the  Flight 


357 


SUMMARY  OF  DISTANCES 


Kalgan  to  Ponghong  547  li 

Ponghong  to  Oude  Telegraph  Station  560 
Oude  to  Tuerin  “ “ 543 

Tuerin  Telegraph  Station  to  Urga  440 


Total,  Kalgan  “ “ 2090 

Urga  to  Kiachta  620 


Total,  Kalgan  to  Kiachta  2710 


Note. — Others  estimated  the  distance  from  Urga  to 
Kiachta  as  40  li  more  than  the  above.  One  li  equals  one 
third  of  a mile  or  more.  The  li  in  Mongolia  are  “long,” 
sometimes  equal  to  half  a mile. 

RIVERS  CROSSED 

Tola,  just  before  reaching  Urga. 

Hara  Gol,  270  li  north  of  Urga. 

Bayin  Gol,  445  “ 

Yiiro  Gol,  515  “ “ “ “ 


GLOSSARY 


PRINCIPLES  OF  PRONUNCIATION 
a as  in  ah,  a as  in  at,  a as  in  table,  cn  as  in  sofa, 
e as  in  herd,  e as  in  met,  e as  u in  run,  e the  same  as  a. 

I as  in  machine,  i as  in  pin. 

6 as  in  no,  6 as  in  not,  6 as  in  nor,  a the  same  as  a. 
u as  in  rude,  u as  in  run. 

au  as  on  in  out,  ai  as  in  aisle,  oi  and  oy  as  oi  in  point, 
r to  be  trilled. 

Some  Chinese  words  have  no  vowel  sound  after  the  in- 
itial consonant;  as,  after  ch,  dz,  j,  sh,  ss,  &c.,  like  the  final 
e in  able,  ruble,  &c. 


ABBREVIATIONS 

Chi.,  Chinese;  F.,  French;  Hind.,  Hindu;  Man.,  Man- 
churian ; Mon.,  Mongolian ; Rus.,  Russian. 

The  other  abbreviations  will  be  readily  understood. 

NAMES 

ALASHAN  (a-la-shan'),  a mountain  range  in  the  south 
of  Mongolia,  west  of  the  Ordus  desert. 

ALEPPO  (a-lep'-po),  a city  in  N.  Syria. 

ALTAI  (al-tai'),  a group  of  mountain  ranges  in  N.  Mon- 
golia, partly  on  the  border  of  Siberia. 

ALTANG  (al'-tang),  Mon.  adj.,  golden. 

359 


360  Glossary 

ALTANG  BOLOG  (al'-tang  bo'-log),  Mon.,  Golden 
Spring,  name  of  a well,  and  halting-place  for  cara- 
vans, less  than  a mile  S.  E.  of  Kiachta. 

AMBAN  (am'-ban),  Mon.  n.,  a high  official  title. 

AMUR,  (a-mur'),  a large  river  north  of  Manchuria,  flowing 
E.  to  the  Sea  of  Okhotsk. 

ANGARA  (an-ga-ra'),  a river  in  Siberia,  the  outlet  of 
Lake  Baikal,  flowing  N.  W.  to  the  Yenesei  River. 

ANGLE  NOR  (an"-gl’  nor'),  Mon.,  a lake  more  than  20 
miles  in  circumference,  50  miles  N.  W.  of  Kalgan. 

APRICOT  HARMONY  CITY,  Chi.  name  Hsing  Ho  Ch’- 
eng,  a ruined  Mon.  city  33  miles  N.  of  Kalgan. 

ARGAL  (ar'-gal),  Mon.  n.,  the  dung  of  animals,  dried  in 
the  sun  and  wind,  and  used  as  fuel. 

ARGOL  (aP-gol),  the  Anglicized  form  of  the  preceding. 

ARGUN  (aP-gun),  a river  on  the  N.  W.  border  of  Man- 
churia, one  of  the  chief  branches  of  the  Amur. 

ARIKBUGHA  (a-nk'-bu-ga),  a brother  of  Kublai  Khan. 

ASTRAKHAN  (as-tra-kan'),  a city  in  S.  E.  Russia,  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Volga  River. 

“AZURE  HILL,”  a village  50  miles  S.  of  Kalgan,  in 
which  there  are  many  Christians. 

BAD  AM  DAROGA  (ba'-dam  da'-ro-gwa),  the  Mongol 
mandarin  of  Hara  Oso,  who  governs  only  seventy  fam- 
ilies. 

BAGDAD  (bag-dad'),  a city  in  Mesopotamia,  by  the  Tigris 
River. 

BAIKAL  (bai'-kal),  Turk.,  “Rich  Lake,”  the  chief  lake 
in  E.  Siberia,  about  700  miles  in  length,  or  as  long  as 
the  distance  from  Kalgan  to  Urga. 


Glossary 


361 


“BANDIT,”  the  name  applied  to  one  of  Mr.  Sprague’s  serv- 
ants, because  of  his  wild  looks.  On  the  night  when 
we  fled  from  our  homes,  he  stole  a shot-gun. 

BAO  (bau),  the  Manchu  name  for  a felt  tent  or  yurt. 

BARACHIG  (ba'-ra-chlg),  the  place  in  Siberia  from  which 
the  railway  leaves  Lake  Baikal  for  the  west. 

BARAKOLSKI  STEPPE  (ba-ra-kol'-skl  step),  a prairie 
between  the  Selenga  River  and  the  mountains  bordering 
Lake  Baikal. 

BATOUIEFF  (ba-tu'-i-ef),  Mr.,  a Russian  tea-merchant 
who  once  lived  in  Kalgan. 

BATU  (ba'-tu),  a grandson  of  Genghis  Khan,  who  was 
the  first  chief  of  the  Golden  Horde,  and  lived  in  a 
golden  tent  by  the  Volga  River. 

BATURINA  (ba-tu'-n-na),  Mr.,  the  Russian  photogra- 
pher in  Troits  Kosavski. 

BAYARA  (ba-ya'-ra),  Mon.  n.,  happiness,  blessedness. 

BAYIN  GOL  (ba"-yln  gol'),  a small  river  148  miles  N. 
of  Urga,  flowing  W.  to  the  Orkhon. 

BELE  (be'-le),  a tribe  of  Mongols  in  the  N.  part  of  the 
desert  of  Gobi. 

BELSHAIYA  (bel-shai'-ya),  Rus.  adj.,  great. 

BEREKE  (be'-re-ke),  the  second  leader  of  the  Golden 
Horde,  who  oppressed  the  Russians,  ravaged  Poland, 
and  became  a convert  to  Islam;  d.  1265. 

BI  (bi),  Mon.  pers.  pron.,  I. 

BILIKTU  (bl-lik'-tu),  the  first  chief  of  the  E.  Mongols, 
after  they  had  been  driven  out  of  China;  d.  1379. 

BILUTAI  (bi-lu'-tai),  a place  in  Siberia,  23  miles  W.  of 
Kiachta,  where  steamers  from  Irkutsk  unload  and  re- 
load. 


362 


Glossary 


BLUMBERG'  (blum'-berg),  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  Swedish  mis- 
sionaries of  the  Christian  Alliance,  killed  by  Boxers 
near  Ta  She  T’ai,  Sept.  21,  1900. 

BOGDA  (bog'-da),  the  title  of  the  Living  Buddha  at 
Urga. 

BOKHARA  (bo-ka'-ra),  a city  in  Turkestan. 

BOLOG  (bo'-log),  Mon.  n.,  a spring. 

“BONNIE,”  the  name  of  a favorite  horse;  see  Chap. 
XXIX. 

BOROCHAI  (b6"-ro-chai'),  Mon.,  the  name  of  a temple 
28  miles  N.  W.  of  Kalgan. 

BOYARS  (boy'-arz),  Rus.  n.,  pi.,  nobles. 

BOYINTO  (bo-ym'-to),  Mon.,  name  of  a convert  of 
James  Gilmour,  living  at  Hara  Oso. 

BUDANTSAR  (bu-dan'-tsar) , Mon.,  an  ancestor  of  Gen- 
ghis Khan. 

BUDDHA  (bu'-da),  1.  Shakyamuni,  a Hindu  Sage.  2. 
Any  deified  saint.  3.  An  idol  worshiped  by  Mongols 
and  other  Buddhists. 

BUKU  (bti'-ku),  Mon.,  the  king  of  the  Uigur  Mongols, 
who,  in  the  eighth  century,  founded  the  city  of  Kar- 
akorum. 

BURIAT  (bu'-n-at),  Mon.,  the  name  of  a tribe  of  Mon- 
gols living  S.  E.  of  Lake  Baikal,  mostly  under  the  Rus- 
sian government. 

BUYANTU  (bu-yan'-tu).  Mon.,  the  third  Mongol  em- 
peror after  Kublai  Khan;  d.  1320. 

CALIPH  (ca'-lif),  the  spiritual  and  civil  head  of  a Mo- 
hammedan state. 

CAMBALUC  (cam-bal'-uc),  from  Khan  Bolgas,  Mon., 


Glossary  363 

“The  Fortress  of  the  King,” — the  medieval  name  by 
which  Peking  was  known  among  Europeans. 
CHAKHAR  (chak'-har),  the  tribe  of  Mongols  living  near 
Kalgan.  They  call  themselves  Jahara. 

CHANG  (jang),  Mr.,  Chi.,  a kind-hearted  carpenter  at 
Olan  Bar. 

CHANG-FANG  (jang- fang),  Chi.  n.,  a cloth  tent  used  by 
travelers  in  Mongolia. 

CHANG  YEN  MAO  (jang"  yen  man'),  Mr.,  a wealthy 
Chinese  in  Tientsin,  once  the  hostler  of  the  Seventh 
Prince,  who  was  father  of  the  Emperor  Kuang  Hsu. 
CH’ANG-AN  (chang-an'),  Chi.,  “Continual  Peace,”  the 
ancient  and  western  capital  of  China;  the  same  as 
Si-an  Fu. 

CHAPAI  (cha'-pai),  one  of  the  Mongol  emperors  of 
China;  d.  about  1251. 

CHASSA  BA  (chas"-sa  ba'),  Mon.,  a pass  and  village  at 
the  edge  of  the  Mongolian  plateau.  E.  of  Yellow  Blos- 
som Plain. 

CH’ENG  (cheng),  Chi.  n.,  a city;  any  walled  city;  a city 

wall. 

CHEN-TSUNG  (jen'-dzung),  Chi.,  an  emperor  of  the 
Sung  dynasty,  about  1000  A.D. 

CHI  (chi),  Chi.  adv.,  together. 

CHAI  (jl-a')>  Chi.,  the  native  pastor  of  a church  con- 
nected with  the  American  Board  Mission. 
CHICHMAREFF,  J.,  the  Russian  consul-general  at  Urga. 
CHIEH  YING  (ji"-e  ying),  Chi.  v.,  to  receive,  welcome. 
CH’IEN-LUNG  (chien'-lung),  a Manchu  emperor  of 
China,  1736-1796,  A.D. 


364 


Glossary 


CH’IH  (ch’>,  Chi.  adj.,  red. 

CH’IH  CH’ENG  HSIEN  (ch’"  cheng  sl'-an),  Chi.,  Red 
City,  a county-seat  77  miles  E.  of  Kalgan. 

CHIHLI  (j’'-lT),  Chi.,  the  Province  of  China  in  which 
Peking  is  situated. 

CHIN  (jin),  Chi.  adv.,  near;  another  adv.,  fully,  com- 
pletely. 

CH’ING  K’O  TA  (chmg"-ke-da'),  the  Chinese  name  of 
“Azure  Hill.” 

CHITA  (chl'-ta),  Rus.,  a city  in  Siberia,  340  miles  N.  E. 
of  Kiactita, 

CHO  CHOU  (jo'-o  jo),  Chi.,  a flourishing  city  47  miles 
S.  W.  of  Peking. 

CHOU  (jo),  Chi.,  the  dynasty  which  ruled  China  from 
B.C.  1022  to  255. 

CHOU  (jo),  Chi.,  an  important  county  or  county-seat. 

CH’U  (chu),  Chi.  v.,  to  come  or  go  out. 

CH’UI  (chu-I),  Chi.,  the  first  day  of  a month. 

CHWERIN  (chwe'-nn),  Mon.,  a mountain  and  temple  in 
N.  Mongolia. 

CIRCASSIANS,  inhabitants  of  Circassia,  on  the  N.  side 
of  the  western  part  of  the  Caucasus  Mts. 

COBDO  (cob'-do),  Mon.,  a city  in  N.  W.  Mongolia,  about 
1000  miles  due  west  from  Urga. 

COCHIN-CHINA  (co"-chm-chai'-na),  the  S.  part  of 
Annam. 

COCK-CROW  MT.,  a picturesque  mountain  93  miles  N. 
W.  of  Peking,  close  to  the  Kalgan  road.  Seen  from  a 
distance,  it  appears  as  a truncated  cone. 

COLQUHOUN  (col-hun'),  Mr.,  an  English  traveler,  the 


Glossary 


365 


author  of  “China  in  Transformation”  and  other 
books. 

“COMBINATION,”  a name  for  the  missionary  caravan 
that  went  to  Siberia  with  Mr.  Larson. 

COSSACKS,  members  of  a race  inhabiting  southern  and 
eastern  Russia;  Russian  soldiers. 

COUP  D’ETAT  (cu"  da-ta'),  F.,  a bold  and  sudden 
stroke  of  policy,  such  as  the  seizure  of  the  Emperor  of 
China  by  the  Empress  Dowager  in  1898. 

CRACOW  (cra'-co),  an  ancient  city  in  W.  Galicia,  Aus- 
tria. 

DARAJI  (da'-ra-jl),  Mon.  n.,  a personal  name,  of  Tibetan 
origin. 

DAROGA  (da'-ro-gwa),  Mon.,  the  title  of  an  official  of 
low  rank. 

DIETRICK  (dl-trik),  Mr.  James,  an  American  miner  in 
Kiachta. 

DOLBESCHEFF,  (dol'-be-shef),  Mr..  Rus.,  the  Secretary 
of  the  Consulate  at  Urga. 

DOLLONNOR  (d6"-16n-nor'),  Mon.,  “Seven  Lakes,”  a 
Mongolian  and  Chinese  trading  city,  founded  by  the 
Emperor  K’ang-hsi,  about  160  miles  N.  E.  of  Kalgan. 

DOTORA  (do'-to-ra),  Mon.  prep.,  in;  written  todora. 

“DUDE,”  a title  applied  to  Mr.  Sprague’s  horse,  “Bonnie.” 

EDELWEISS  (ed'-el-wais),  a small  perennial  flower, 
with  thick  whitish  leaves,  found  on  the  Alps  and  in 
Mongolia,  always  in  high  altitudes. 

ELEUTH  (l'-lut),  a fierce  tribe  of  Mongols,  living  west 
of  the  Ordus  desert. 


366 


Glossary 


EMPRESS  DOWAGER,  the  real  ruler  of  the  Chinese 
empire,  and  mother,  by  adoption,  of  the  Emperor 
Kuang-hsii. 

ENGH  (eng),  Miss  Marie  J.,  a Swedish  lady  connected 
with  the  American  Board  Mission  at  Kalgan. 

ERH  T’AI  (e/-tai),  Mon.,  the  second  Post  Station  on 
the  official  route  to  Urga,  about  35  miles  N.  W.  of 
Kalgan. 

ERTNI  OBO  (ert'-ni  o'-bo),  Mon.,  Precious  Altar,  or 
Treasure  Mountain,  the  name  of  a mountain  at  Oude, 
in  central  Mongolia. 

FEN  (fen),  Chi.  n.,  a graveyard. 

FENG  T’AI  (feng'-tai),  Chi.  prop,  n.,  “Fertile  Terrace,” 
the  place  of  junction  of  the  Peking-Tientsin  and  Pe- 
king-Hankow  railways,  about  ten  miles  S.  of  the  cap- 
ital. 

FERNSTALK.  the  cable  code  word  for  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions. 

FIRST  TELEGRAPH  STATION,  a term  used  to  denote 
Ponghong,  182  miles  N.  W.  of  Kalgan. 

FLEUR-DE-LIS  (flur"-d^-li),  F.  the  iris;  a flag  with  pale 
blue  flowers. 

FLOWERY  LAND,  China. 

FRIEDSTROM  (frid'-strom),  Mr.,  a Swedish  missionary 
to  the  Mongols,  who  escaped  alone  through  Gobi  to 
Urga  in  1900. 

FU,  FU,  CHI.,  a department,  or  chief  section  of  a prov- 
ince. 

FU-KIEN  (fu"-ki-en'),  Chi.,  a province  in  the  S.  W.  of 
China,  the  capital  of  which  is  Foochow. 


Glossary 


367 


GARA  (ga'-ra),  Mon.  n.,  the  hand  or  arm. 

GUATAMA  (gua"-ta-ma')>  the  Sage,  who  first  taught  the 
doctrines  of  Buddhism. 

GEGE  (ge'-ge),  Mon.,  the  common  appellation  of  the  Liv- 
ing Buddha. 

GEGEN  (ge'-gen),  a Mongol  emperor  who  ruled  China, 
and  was  assassinated  in  1323  A.D. 

GENGHIS  KHAN  (geng"-gis  kan'),  the  founder  of  the 
vast  empire  of  the  Mongols;  b.  1162,  d.  1227  A.D. 

GERE  (ge'-re),  Mon.  n.,  a felt  tent;  a yurt;  home. 

GEVERIT  (ge'-ve-rit),  Rus.  v.,  to  speak. 

GILMOUR,  Rev.  James,  a heroic  missionary  of  the  Lon- 
don Mission,  who  labored  for  the  Mongols  from  1870 
to  1891. 

GOBI  (go'-bi),  Mon.,  the  desert  that  stretches  N.  E.  and 
S.  W.  through  the  central  part  of  Mongolia. 

GOL  (gol),  Mon.  n.,  a brook  or  river. 

GOLDEN  HORDE,  a tribe  of  Mongols  whose  chief,  Batu, 
lived  in  a golden  tent  by  the  river  Volga,  and  to  whom 
the  Russians,  at  one  time,  gave  all  the  land  from  the 
Carpathian  Mts.  to  Lake  Balkash  in  central  Asia. 

GOLDEN  KHAN,  the  chief  of  the  Khalkha  tribe  in  N. 
Mongolia. 

GOMBO  (gom'-bo),  Mon.,  the  name  of  a Mongol  teacher, 
whose  home  is  by  the  Urga  road,  103  miles  from  Kal- 
gan. 

GORDON  HALL,  the  name  of  the  municipal  hall,  in  the 
British  Concession,  Tientsin. 

GORDON  MEMORIAL  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY, 
an  institution  of  the  American  Board  Mission  in  Tung- 


368  Glossary 

cho,  named  after  its  chief  donor,  Mr.  Nathaniel  Gor- 
don. 

GOSTINITZA  (gos"-tf-mt'-za),  Rus.  n.,  hotel. 

GRAESLER  (gres'-ler),  Mr.,  a Belgian  merchant,  who 
once  lived  in  Kalgan. 

GREAT  RED  VALLEY,  a Mongol  village  20  miles  N.  W. 
of  Kalgan. 

GRIZNOCHIN  (grlz-no'-chin),  Mr.,  a Russian  merchant 
in  Urga. 

GUSTAFSON  (gus'-taf-son),  Miss  Alida,  a Swedish 
missionary  of  the  Christian  Alliance,  who  was  killed 
by  the  Boxers. 

HAGANG  (ha-gang'),  Mon.  n.,  king;  this  is  the  writ- 
ten form;  the  spoken  form  is  hang. 

HAI  P’A  (hai-pa'),  Chi.  v.,  an  intensive  form  of  P’a,  to 
fear. 

“HALAHAN”  (ha'-la-han),  a Mongol  woman,  who  fled 
from  the  Boxers  with  the  missionaries  from  Olan  Bar. 

HANG  (hang),  Mon.  n.,  a king,  the  spoken  form  of 
hagang. 

HANG-CHOU  FU  (hang"-jo  fu'),  the  Chinese  name  of 
Hangchow. 

HANGCHOW  (hang-chau'),  an  important  city  and  sea- 
port of  China,  107  miles  S.  W.  of  Shanghai. 

HANKOW  (han-kau'),  the  chief  port  of  central  China, 
on  the  Yang-tzu  Kiang,  about  600  miles  W.  of  Shang- 
hai. 

HANORE  (han'-6r),  a village  and  hill  at  the  edge  of  the 
Mongolian  plateau,  15  miles  N.  W.  of  Kalgan. 


Glossary  369 

HARACHING  (ha'-ra-ching),  a tribe  of  agricultural  Mon- 
gols, between  Dolonnor  and  Newchuang. 

HARA  GOL  (ha"-ra  gol'),  Mon.,  “Black  River,”  a stream 
90  miles  N.  of  Urga,  flowing  westward  to  the  Orkhon 
River. 

HARA  OSO  (ha"-ra  o'-so),  Mon.,  “Black  Water,”  the 
name  of  a stream  and  village  50  miles  N.  W.  of  Kal- 
gan. 

HATAG  (ha'-tag),  Mon.  n.,  a strip  of  silk  given  as  a 
present  or  used  by  the  northern  Mongols  as  money. 

HERAT  (htf-rat'),  a city  in  W.  Afghanistan. 

HING-AN  (hlng-an'),  a range  of  mountains  in  E.  Mon- 
golia. 

HO  (he),  Chi.  n.,  and  adj.,  harmony,  harmonious. 

HOLT  (hol'-t’),  Mon.,  the  name  of  a temple  206  miles 
N.  W.  of  Kalgan. 

HONAN  (he'-nan),  Chi.,  a province  of  China  S.  W.  of 
Shantung. 

HSIA  (sl-a'),  the  Chi.  name  of  a Tartar  kingdom  in  N. 
W.  China,  1000  A.D. 

HSIA  (sl-a'),  Chi,  adv,  and  v.,  below,  to  put  down;  see 
SHOU. 

HSIA  HSIN  CHUANG  (sl-a"  sin  gwang'),  Chi.,  “Sum- 
mer Bitterness  Village,”  a place  80  miles  S.  W.  of  Kal- 
gan, where  Miss  Gustafson  was  killed  by  Boxers  in  the 
summer  of  1900. 

HSIAO  (sl-au'),  Chi.  adj.,  small. 

HSIAO  CHANG  (si-au'  jang),  Chi.,  a city  130  miles  S. 
W.  of  Tientsin. 

HSIAO  T’AI  HOU  (si-ao  tai  I10),  Chinese  name  of  the 


3/0 


Glossary 


Mongol  queen  Hsiao,  who  built  cities  N.  of  Kalgan 
when  the  Mongols  ruled  China. 

HSIEN  (sT'-an),  Chi.  n.,  a county  or  county-seat,  gener- 
ally smaller  than  a chou. 

HSI-NING  (sl'-nlng),  Chi.,  “Western  Repose,’’  a city 
80  miles  S.  W.  of  Kalgan. 

HSIUNG-NU  (si-ung'-nu),  Chi.,  “Fierce  Slaves,”  the 
hordes  from  Mongolia,  supposed  to  have  been  Huns, 
who  invaded  China  in  ancient  times. 

HSUAN-HUA  FU  (swen"-hwa  fu'),  Chi.,  “Conversion 
by  Preaching,”  a large  city  20  miles  S.  E.  of  Kalgan. 

HU  (hu),  Chi.  adv.,  wildly. 

HU  (hu),  Mon.  n.,  a son;  the  spoken  form  of  hubegung. 

HUA  (hwa),  Chi.  n.,  spoken  words,  talk. 

HUAI  LAI  (hwai'-lai),  Chi.,  “Bosom  Come,”  a city  mid- 
way between  Peking  and  Kalgan. 

HUANG  TS’UN  (hwang'-tsun),  Chi.,  “Yellow  Village,” 
a village  13  miles  S.  of  Peking;  a station  on  the  Pe- 
king-Tientsin  railroad. 

HUBEGUNG  (hu"-be-gung'),  Mon.  n.,  a son;  the  written 
form  of  hu. 

HUL  (hul),  Mon.  n.,  the  foot. 

HULAGU  (hu'-la-gu),  Mon.,  a brother  of  Kublai  Khan. 
He  fought  in  Persia,  Mesopotamia  and  Syria,  1251- 
1259  A.D.,  and  founded  the  empire  of  the  Ilkhans. 

HUNS  (hunz),  a nomadic  and  warlike  tribe  of  Asiatic 
origin,  who  overran  Europe  in  the  5th  century,  under 
the  leadership  of  Attilla. 

HUN-YUAN  CHOU  (hun"-yiien  jo'),  a Chi.  city  133 
miles  S.  S.  W.  of  Kalgan. 


Glossary  37 1 

HURE  (hu-re'),  Mon.  v.  imper.,  Look  out  for  (the  dogs)  ! 


I (I),  Chi.  num.  adj.,  one. 

I (I),  Chi.  adj.  and  n.,  righteous,  righteousness. 

ID  (Id),  Mon.  v.  imper.,  eat,  please  eat. 

IDEHU  (I'-de-hu),  Mon.  v.  inf.,  to  eat. 

IDEJI  BAINA  (l'-de-j  1 bai-na'),  Mon.  v.,  I am  (or  he  is) 
eating. 

IDELE  (I"-de-le'),  Mon.  v.  imp.,  I have  (or  he  has)  eaten. 

IDESENG  (I"-de-seng'),  Mon.  v.,  past  tense,  I (or  he)  ate. 

I HO  CH’UAN  (I"  he  chwen'),  Chi.,  “Righteous  Har- 
monious Fist,”  the  Chinese  name  of  the  Boxers. 

ILI  (i'-li),  Chi.  n.,  the  province  of  Tartary,  W.  of  Mon- 
golia, and  N.  of  Tibet  and  Kokonor. 

ILKHANS  (ll'-kanz),  empire  of,  extended  from  the  E. 
border  of  Persia  to  the  Mediterranean  Sea ; see  Hulagu. 

INAI.JUK  (In-al'-juk),  governor  of  Otrar  in  Turkestan, 
punished  by  an  army  of  Genghis  Khan  under  Jagatai, 
1219  A.D. 

INNER  MONGOLIA,  the  southern  half  of  Mongolia,  i.e., 
the  part  south  of  the  desert  of  Gobi. 

IRKUTSK,  the  chief  city  of  E.  Siberia,  pop.  50,000. 

IRO  GOL  (i"-ro  gol'),  Mon.,  a river  in  N.  Mongolia  33 
miles  S.  of  Kiachta,  flowing  W.  to  the  Orkhon  River. 

IRTISH  (Ir'-tlsh),  a river  which  rises  in  Hi  near  Cobdo, 
and  flows  N.  W.  1620  miles  to  the  Obi  River. 

IVAN  (I'-van),  “the  Terrible,”  Czar  of  Russia,  1529-1584, 
conquered  Kazan  and  Astrakhan. 

JACOBSON  (ya'-cob-son),  Mr.  Emil,  a Swedish  mission- 
ary of  the  Christian  Alliance  Mission,  who  escaped  to 


372 


Glossary 


Siberia  with  the  Larson  caravan. 

JAGATAI  (ja-ga'-tai),  Mon.,  a son  of  Genghis  Khan, 
and  commander  of  one  of  his  armies. 

JAHARA  (ja-ha'-ra),  Mon.,  the  Chakhar  tribe,  according 
to  their  own  pronunciation. 

JALALUDDIN  (jal"-al-ud'-din),  the  son  of  Muhammed 
of  Khuarezm,  defeated  by  Genghis  Khan. 

JANIBEG  (jan'-T-beg),  a ruler  of  the  Golden  Horde,  mur- 
dered by  his  son  Berdibeg,  in  1357. 

JEN  (run),  Chi.  n.,  a man,  men. 

JUNG  (rung),  Chi.  n.,  glory;  used  as  an  abbreviation  for 
Jung  Lu. 

JUNG  LU  (rung'-lu),  Man.,  a prince  of  the  royal  family 
in  China,  who  was  one  of  the  leading  Boxers. 

KAIDU  (kai'-du),  Mon.,  cousin  of  Kublai  Khan;  d.  1301. 

K’AI-FENG  FU  (kai"-feng  fu'),  Chi.,  the  capital  of 
Honan  Province. 

KAISSAN  (kais'-san),  a Mongol  emperor  of  China,  &c. ; 
d.  1311. 

KALGAN  (kal'-gan),  a city  in  Chihli,  China,  close  to  the 
Great  Wall,  140  miles  N.  W.  of  Peking. 

KALMUK  (kal'-muc),  a tribe  of  Mongols  living  in  Ili  and 
W.  Siberia. 

K’AN  (kan),  Chi.  v.,  to  see. 

K’ANG-HSI  (kang-si'),  the  most  illustrious  emperor  of 
the  present  (Manchu)  dynasty  in  China,  who  reigned 
from  1662  to  1723  A.D. 

KANSUH  (gan'-su),  Chi.,  the  N.  W.  province  of  China 


proper. 


Glossary 


373 


KARAKORUM  (ka"-ra-ko'-rum),  Mon.,  an  ancient  city 
of  N.  Mongolia,  in  1227-1241  the  capital  of  the  Mon- 
golian empire. 

KASAN  (ka'-san),  Rus.,  a city  in  the  E.  part  of  Russia. 

KAZAK  (ka'-zak),  Mon.,  a tribe  of  Mongols,  E.  of  the 
Caspian  Sea. 

KERULON  (ke'-ru-lon),  a river  in  N.  Mongolia,  E.  of 
Urga,  flowing  eastward,  and  becoming  the  chief  branch 
of  the  Argun  River. 

KHAKAN  (ka'-kan),  Mon.  n.,  the  title  of  the  Mongol 
emperors;  the  same  as  khan  and  hagang. 

KHALKHA  (kal'-ka),  Mon.  n.,  a tribe  of  Mongols  in  N. 
Mongolia. 

KHAN  (kan),  Mon.  n.,  a king. 

KHIRGHIZ  (kir'-glz),  a tribe  of  Mongols  living  in  Ili, 
and  westward  to  the  Caspian  Sea. 

KHUAREZM  (ku"-ar-ezm'),  a kingdom  in  Turkestan, 
conquered  by  the  armies  of  Genghis  Khan,  1219  A.  D. 

KIACHTA  (ki-ak'-ta),  a frontier  city  of  Siberia,  to  which 
tea  is  brought  on  camels  from  China,  by  way  of  Kal- 
gan  and  Urga. 

KIAO  CHOU  (ki-au'  jo),  a port  of  Shantung,  S.  of  the 
Promontory,  seized  by  the  Germans  in  1898. 

KIEV  (ki-ev'),  “the  Mother  of  cities,”  a city  by  the  Dnei- 
per  River,  in  S.  W.  Russia. 

KIN  (kin  or  jin),  Chi.  n.,  “Gold;”  the  name  of  a Tartar 
kingdom  in  N.  E.  China  whose  capital  was  Peking, 

1118-1235  A.D. 

KITAIOFF  (ki'-tof),  Mr.  T.,  a young  Russian  gentleman 
in  Kiachta,  who  was  very  kind  to  members  of  the 
Larson  caravan. 


374 


Glossary 


KIT  AN  (ki'-tan),  Mon.,  a Tartar  kingdom  in  N.  E.  China, 
overthrown  in  1201  A.D. 

KO  (ge),  Chi.,  numerative,  not  translatable  into  English; 
the  same  as  “piecee”  in  Pigeon-English. 

KOHISTAN ' (ko-lns'-tan),  (Khoristan?  or  Khorasan?)  a 
province  of  Persia. 

KOKO  ILEGENG  (ko'-ko  i'-le-geng),  Mon.,  a village  on 
the  Mongolian  plateau,  30  miles  N.  W.  of  Kui  Hua 
Ch’eng. 

K’OU  (ko),  Chi.  n.,  a pass  among  mountains. 

KRASNOIARSK  (kras'-no-yarsk),  Rus.,  a city  in  Siberia, 
by  the  Yenesei  River,  and  also  on  the  line  of  the  trans- 
continental railway. 

KREMLIN  (krem'-lTn),  Rus.,  the  citadel  of  Moscow. 

KRIM  (krim),  Mon.,  a tribe  of  Tartars  in  S.  Russia, 
from  whom  the  Crimea  was  named. 

K’UAI  (kwai),  Chi.  adv.,  quickly. 

KUAN  SHIH  (gwan'-sh’),  Chi.,  “Mandarin  Market,”  a 
village  20  miles  N.  W.  of  Peking. 

KUAN  YUAN  (gwan'-yiien),  Chi.  n.,  officials. 

KUBLAI  (ku'-blai),  Mon.,  the  name  of  the  most  illustri- 
ous Mongol  emperor  that  ruled  China ; b.  1216,  reigned 
1259-1294. 

KUEI-TZU  (gua'-z’),  Chi.  n.,  a demon,  foreign  devil, 
foreigner. 

KUI  HUA  (gwl'-hwa),  Chi.,  same  as  the  next. 

KUI  HUA  CH’ENG  (gwl'-hwa  cheng),  Chi.,  “Belongs  to 
Civilization  City,”  a Chinese  trading  city  in  S.  Mon- 
golia, 240  miles  W.  of  Kalgan. 

KULDJA  (kul'-ja),  a city  in  the  extreme  N.  W.  of  Ili, 
restored  to  China  by  Russia  in  1880  A.D. 


Glossary 


375 


KULUK  KHAN  (ku"-luk  kan'),  a title  of  the  Mongol 
emperor,  Kaissan. 

KUSHLEK  (kush'-lek),  a Naiman  Mongol,  who  gained 
the  throne  of  the  Kitan  kingdom,  but  was  overthrown 
by  Genghis  Khan. 

KUYUK  (ku'-yuk),  the  Mongol  emperor  who  succeeded 
Ogdai  in  1241 ; d.  1248  A.D. 

LAI  (lai),  Chi.  v.,  to  come. 

LAKE  BAIKAL,  see  Baikal. 

LAMA  (la'-ma),  Mon.  n.,  a priest. 

LAMAISM  (la'-ma-ism),  the  religion  of  the  Mongols, 
Tibetan  Buddhism. 

LARARE  (la'-ra-re),  Swed.  n.,  teacher. 

LI  (li),  Chi.,  measure  of  distance,  one  third  of  a mile  or 
more. 

LIAO  (llau),  the  Chinese  name  of  a Tartar  kingdom,  that 
of  the  Kitane,  overthrown  in  1201  A.  D. 

LIAO-TUNG  (Hau-dung'),  the  part  of  S.  Manchuria  E. 
of  the  river  Liao. 

LIMBOSKI  (llm-bo'-ski),  Rus.,  the  name  of  a hotel  in 
Troits  Kosavski. 

LINGDAN  KHAN  (llng"-dan  kan'),  the  last  ruler  of  the 
Eastern  Mongols. 

LI-T’OU  (li'-to),  Chi.  adv.,  inside. 

LIU-TSUNG  (llu'-dzung),  the  king  of  the  Huns,  who 
ruled  in  Si-an  Fu,  China,  A.D.  265-280. 

LLASSA  (hlas'-sa),  the  capital  of  Tibet. 

LOASA  (lo'-as-a),  Mon.,  a mule;  the  word  was  borrowed 
from  the  Chinese. 


376 


Glossary 


LUNDBERG'  (lund'-berg),  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  Swedish  mis- 
sionaries of  the  Christian  Alliance,  killed  by  Boxers  in 
1900. 

LUNDQUIST  (lund'-quist),  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  Swedish  mis- 
sionaries of  the  same  Mission  who  escaped  to  Siberia 
in  the  Larson  caravan. 

LUNDQUIST,  David  and  Jonathan,  children  of  the  pre- 
ceding. 

MAIMAICHENG  (mai'-mai-cheng),  Chi.,  “Business  City,” 
a place  in  N.  Mongolia,  just  S.  of  Kiachta. 

MANCHU  (man'-chu),  a native  of  Manchuria,  or  member 
of  the  ruling  race  in  China;  their  language. 

MANGU  (mang'-gu),  the  Mongol  emperor  who  preceded 
Kublai  Khan ; d.  1259. 

MARAGHA  (ma'-ra-ga),  a city  in  Mesopotamia  (or  Per- 
sia?) where  Hulagu  let  his  astronomer,  Nasir  al-din' 
build  a handsome  observatory.  Four  western  Asiatic 
astronomers  were  employed,  and  there  were  “armillary 
spheres  and  astrolabes,  and  a beautifully  executed  ter- 
restrial globe,  showing  the  five  climates.” 

MARCO  POLO,  a Venetian  traveler  and  author,  1254-1324, 
who  was  in  China  in  the  reign  of  Kublai  Khan. 

MASSORETIC  DOTS,  the  dots  which  represent  vowels 
in  Hebrew. 

MEN  (men),  Chi.  n.,  a door. 

MENDE  BAYARA  (men'-dtf  ba-yl-ra),  “Peace  and  Joy.” 
the  name  of  a camel-driver,  the  father  of  “Morning 
Star.” 

MENDO!  (men-do'),  Mon.,  a salutation,  “Peace!” 


Glossary 


377 


MEREGEN  (me'-re-gen),  a tribe  of  Mongols  in  the  desert 

of  Gobi. 

MERKIT  (mer'-klt),  a tribe  of  Mongols. 

“MIDDLE  KINGDOM”,  China. 

MIN  (min),  Swed.  pers.  pron.,  my. 

MING  (mlng),  Chi.  n.,  life;  see  T’ao. 

MING  dynasty  (mlng),  “Bright,”  the  one  preceding  the 
present  Manchu  dynasty. 

MINI  (ml'-nl),  Mon.  pers.  pron.  pos.,  my,  mine. 

MODONG  (mo'-dong),  Mon.  n.,  wood,  a tree. 

MODORA  (mo'-do-ra),  Mon.  n.,  a divine  hand. 

MOGHUL  EMPIRE  (mo'-gul),  an  empire  founded  at 
Delhi,  Hindustan,  by  Baber,  a descendant  of  Timur  or 
Tamerlane. 

MONAI  (mo-nai'),  a Mon.  pers.  pron.  pos.,  my,  mine. 

MONGOL  (mong’-gol),  a Mongol  person,  Mongolian. 

MONGOLIAN, — i.  In  a wide  sense,  all  E.  Asiatics;  2. 
Properly,  a native  of  Mongolia;  3.  The  language  of 
the  Mongols. 

MONGOL  WALL,  an  earthen  wall  enclosing  a large  area 
adjoining  Peking  on  the  north. 

MONTECORVINO  (m6n"-te-cor-vr-n6),  John  of,  the 
first  Roman  Catholic  missionary  to  China,  1292-1328 
A.D.  In  Peking  he  built  a church  “which  had  a belfry 
with  three  bells,  that  were  rung  every  hour,  to  sum- 
mon the  new  converts  to  prayer.”  He  wrote:  “It  is 
now  twelve  years  since  I have  heard  any  news  from  the 
West.  I am  become  old  and  gray-headed,  but  it  is 
rather  through  labors  and  tribulations  than  through 
age.  I write  and  read  and  preach  openly  and  freely 
the  testimony  of  the  law  of  Christ,” 


378 


Glossary 


MORI  (me'-ri),  Mon.  n.,  a horse. 

MOSKOFSKAIYA  (mos-kof-skai'-ya),  Rus.,  of  Moscow. 

MUHAMMED  (mu-ham'-med),  the  king  of  Khuarezm, 
in  Turkestan,  defeated  and  pursued  by  the  army  of 
Genghis  Khan,  1219  A.D. 

MUNDO ! (mun-do'),  the  same  as  Mendo. 

MUNGHE  (mung'-he),  Mon.  adj.,  “Eternal,”  the  name  of 
a faithful  and  efficient  camel-driver  employed  by  Mr. 
Larson. 

MU-T’OU  (mu'-to),  Chi.  n.,  wood. 

MYSSOWAIYA  (nus"-s6-wai'-ya),  Rus.,  a new  city  in 
Siberia,  where  the  railway  leaves  Lake  Baikal  for  the 
East. 

NAIMAN  (nai'-man),  a tribe  of  Mongols  defeated  by 
Genghis  Khan  in  1206-8  A.D. 

NAMAIGI  (na-mai'-gi),  Mon.  pers.  pron.  obj.,  me. 

NARA  (na'-ra),  Mon.  n.,  the  sun. 

NARA  (na'-ra),  Mon.,  an  ending  after  nouns,  denoting 
the  plural  number. 

NASTEGARD  (nes'-te-gard),  Mr.  O.  S..  Jr.,  a Norwegian 
Lutheran  missionary,  who  accompanied  the  Larson  car- 
avan from  Urga  to  Sweden. 

NAYAN  (nai'-an),  a prince  of  the  family  of  Kublai 
Khan,  who  led  a revolt  in  Manchuria  in  1287,  but  was 
taken  by  Kublai,  and  executed. 

NERE  (ne'-re),  Mon.  n.,  a name. 

NERE  (ne'-re),  Mon.  pi.  ending,  the  same  as  nara. 

NIEH  (nl-e'),  Chi.,  a general  in  command  of  troops  at 
Ta  She  T’ai,  in  Mongolia. 


Glossary 


379 


NIMCHILOFF  (mm'-chi-lof),  Mr.,  a wealthy  Russian, 
who  built  the  cathedral  in  Kiachta. 

NING-HSIA  (mng'-si-a),  Chi.,  a city  in'  N.  E.  Kansuh, 
550  miles  W.  of  Peking. 

NING'-TSUNG  (mng'-dzung),  a Chinese  emperor  of 
the  Sung  dynasty,  A.D.  1195-1228? 

NISHNAPOOR  (msh"-na-puF),  a city  in  N.  E.  Persia, 
destroyed  by  Mongols  about  1220  A.D. 

NOHOI  (no-hoi'),  Mon.  n.,  dogs. 

NOHOI  HURE  1 (no-hoi'hu-re'),  Mon.,  Call  off  the  dogs ! 

NONNI  (non'-ni),  a river  in  N.  E.  Mongolia,  the  same 
as  the  Onon. 

NOR  (nor),  Mon.  n.,  a pond  or  lake. 

OBO  (o'-bo),  Mon.  n.,  an  altar  of  stones,  generally  on  the 
summit  of  a hill. 

OD  (od),  Mon.,  following  a noun,  as  a sign  of  the  plural 
number. 

OGDAI  (og'-dai),  Mon.,  the  emperor  who  succeeded  Gen- 
ghis Khan  in  1227;  waged  many  successful  campaigns, 
d.  1241  A.D. 

OGHOTAI  (o'-go-tai),  same  as  the  preceding. 

OGLOFFSKI  (o-glof'-skf),  Mrs.,  Rus.,  a lady  in  Troits 
Kosavski,  who  was  kind  to  Mrs.  Soderbom. 

OIRAD  (oi'-rad),  (or  orat),  a tribe  of  Mongols,  who  live 
W.  of  the  Chakhars,  and  N.  from  Pao  T’ou. 

OLAN  BAR  (6" -lan  ba/),  Mon.,  “Red  Hill,”  one  of  Mr. 
Stenberg’s  Mission  Stations  in  S.  Mongolia,  N.  of  the 
Ordus  desert. 

ONON  (o'-non),  a river  in  N.  E.  Mongolia,  famous  as  the 


380  Glossary 

original  home  of  Genghis  Khan;  it  flows  N.  E.  to 
the  Amur. 

ORDU  (or'-du),  a tribe  of  Mongols,  who  live  S.  of  the 
Yellow  River. 

ORDUS  DESERT,  the  abode  of  the  Ordu  tribe,  N.  of 
the  province  of  Shensi;  it  is  not  a sandy  desert,  but  a 
poor  grass-land  with  scrubby  bushes. 

ORKHON  (or-kon'),  a river  in  N.  Mongolia,  flowing  past 
Karakorum,  and  on  N.  E.  to  the  Selenga  River. 

OSMANLI  (os-man'-li),  same  as  Ottoman,  from  Othman 
or  Osman,  the  first  sultan  of  the  Turks,  who  estab- 
lished his  empire  in  Asia  Minor  in  1288  A.D. 

OTRAR,  a city  in  Turkestan,  destroyed  by  Genghis  Khan’s 
army  in  1219  A.D. 

OUDE  (ud),  Mon.  n.,  a door,  the  name  of  a region  some 
miles  in  extent,  in  the  desert  of  Gobi,  halfway  from 
Kalgan  to  Urga. 

OUDE  TELEGRAPH  STATION,  the  second  telegraph 
station  N.  of  Kalgan,  located  at  Oude. 

OUTER  MONGOLIA,  the  half  of  Mongolia  that  is  N.  of 
the  desert  of  Gobi. 

P’A  (pa),  Chi.  v.,  to  fear. 

PAO  (bau),  Chi.  v.,  to  protect. 

PAOTINGFU  (bau"-dmg-fu'),  Chi.,  a large  city  113  miles 
S.  W.  of  Peking,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Chihli. 

PAO-T’OU  (bau'-to),  Chi.,  a trading  city  by  the  Yellow 
River,  470  miles  W.  of  Peking. 

PA-TZU-PU-LUNG  (ba"-dz’-bu-lung'),  one  of  Mr.  Sten- 
berg’s  Mission  Stations,  107  miles  W.  of  Pao  T’ou; 


Glossary 


38i 


the  awkward  name  is  a Mongolian  word  mispronounced 
by  the  Chinese. 

PAVYEL  (pail),  Rus.,  the  name  of  the  priest  at  the  con- 
sulate in  Urga,  in  1900. 

PEI  HO,  pronounced  by  foreigners  (pai  ho'),  but  by  the 
Chinese  (ba'-he),  “North  River,”  flowing  past  Tungcho 
to  Tientsin. 

PEKING  (pi-king'),  pronounced  by  the  Chinese  Ba-jlng' ; 
the  capital  of  China. 

PENS  A (pen'-sa),  Mon.  n.,  a dish;  the  word  is  borrowed 
from  the  Chinese  p’en-tzu. 

“PERFECTION,”  a small  Chinese  city  called  Wan  Ch’iian 
Hsien,  10  miles  W.  of  Kalgan. 

PESTH  (pest),  same  as  Budapest,  the  capital  of  Hungary. 

PING  (blng),  Chi.  n.,  soldiers. 

PISGAH,  Mt.,  a mountain  peak  on  the  edge  of  the  Mon- 
golian plateau,  17  miles  N.  W.  of  Kalgan. 

PO-AMERICANSKI  (p6"-a-mer-f-kan'-ski),  Rus.  n., 
English,  the  “American”  language. 

PO-ANGLISKI  (po"-ang-gli'-skf),  Rus.  n.,  English,  the 
English  language. 

PO-KITAISKI  (po"  ki-tai'-skf),  Rus.  n.,  Chinese,  the  Chi- 
nese language. 

POOT  (put),  Rus.  n.,  a weight  of  forty  Russian  pounds, 
equal  to  thirty-six  English  pounds* 

PORT  ARTHUR,  a fortified  port  in  S.  Manchuria,  oc- 
cupied by  the  Russians. 

PO-RUSCISKI  (p5"-rus-cls'-kf),  Rus.  n.,  Russian,  the 
Russian  language. 

RIAZAN  (ri"-a-zan'),  a city  in  central  Russia,  captured  in 


382 


Glossary 


1237  by  the  Mongols,  who  massacred  the  inhabitants 
with  the  utmost  cruelty. 

ROKN  AL-DIN  (rokn  al-din'),  the  governor  of  the  prov- 
ince of  Kohistan,  in  N.  E.  Persia,  who  dismantled  his 
fortresses  in  a vain  attempt  to  conciliate  the  Mongols. 

RUBLE  (ru'-bl’),  a Russian  coin  worth  about  a half-dol- 
lar U.  S.  gold. 

RUBRUQUIS  (ru"-bru-kis'),  William  de,  a French  trav- 
eler and  envoy  from  the  pope,  who  visited  the  Mongol 
emperor,  Mangu  Khan,  in  1253  A.D. 

“SADDLE-BAGS,”  a contemptuous  epithet  of  the  Mongols, 
given  them  by  the  Chinese. 

SAI  HONABO?  (sai"  hon-a-bo')  ? Mon.,  the  common 
morning  salutation,  Did  you  sleep  well  ? 

SAI  NOIRASABO?  (sai"  ner-a-sa-bo')  ? Mon.,  the  same 
in  honorific  diction. 

SALE  (sa'-le  [?]  ) a small  river  in  Mongolia,  beside  which 
Genghis  Khan  died,  A D.  1227. 

SAMARA  (sa"-ma-ra'),  a city  in  E.  Russia,  by  the  Volga 
River. 

SAMARCAND  (sa"-mar-cand'),  a city  in  Turkestan,  cap- 
tured by  the  Mongols  under  Genghis  Khan. 

SAMOVAR  (sa'-mo-var),  an  urn  for  hot  water,  used  by 
the  Russians  in  making  tea.  It  has  a charcoal  fire  in  a 
vertical  tube  in  the  center. 

SAMOYED  (sa-mo'-yed),  a portion  of  the  Ural-Altaic 
race,  living  in  Siberia. 

SAN  (san),  Chi.  adj.  num.,  three,  the  third. 

SANG  KAN  (sang'-gan),  the  upper  portion  of  the  Hun 


Glossary 


383 


River  which  drains  a large  section  of  country  W.  of 
Peking. 

SCHAPOFF  (shap'-off),  Mr.,  Rus.,  a tea-merchant  for- 
merly in  Kalgan. 

SCFIISCHAREFF  (shish'-a-ref),  the  consul-general  at 
Urga,  more  properly  written  Chichmareff. 

SCHISCHMARIOFF  (shTsh-ma'-rT-off),  the  same,  as  fre- 
quently pronounced. 

SCHERIN  (shern),  Mr.,  a Dane  employed  by  the  Chinese 
government  to  set  up  the  telegraph  line  from  Kalgan 
to  Urga. 

SELENGA  (sa-leng'-ga),  a river  in  N.  Mongolia  and  Si- 
beria, flowing  to  Lake  Baikal. 

SERA  OT  (s e"-ra  ot'),  Mon.,  “Morning  Star,”  a camel- 
driver  in  Mr.  Larson’s  employ. 

SEVENTH  PRINCE,  the  seventh  son  of  the  Emperor  Tao 
Kuang,  and  father  of  the  Emperor  Kuang  Hsu. 

SHA  (sha),  Chi.  v.,  to  kill. 

SHAMAN  (sha'-man),  a medicine-man  or  priest-doctor, 
supposed  to  be  possessed  with  the  devil,  and  therefore 
to  be  very  wise. 

SHAMANISM  (sha'-man-Izm),  Hind.,  a belief  that  all 
good  and  evil  are  produced  by  spirits,  who  can  be  in- 
fluenced by  priests. 

SHANG  (shang),  Chi.  adv.  and  v.,  above;  to  go  to. 

SHANGTU  (shang'-du),  an  ancient  Mongolian  capital, 
now  in  ruins,  about  40  miles  W.  of  Dolonnor,  and  170 
miles  W.  of  N.  from  Peking. 

SHANSI  (shan-si'),  Chi.,  the  second  province  from  the 
coast  of  N.  China,  between  Mongolia  and  Honan. 


3^4 


Glossary 


SHANTUNG  (shan-dung'),  Chi.,  a province  in  the  N. 
E.  of  China  Proper,  S.  E.  of  Chihli,  forming  a promon- 
tory between  the  Yellow  Sea  and  the  Gulf  of  Pechili. 

SHIH  (sh’),  Chi.  v.,  to  be,  am,  is,  are. 

SHOU  (sho),  Chi.  n.,  the  hand;  hsia  shou,  to  take  hold, 
to  begin. 

SHUI  (shwl),  Chi.  interrog.  and  rel.  pron.,  who?  who. 

SHUO  (shwo),  Chi.  v.,  to  speak. 

SHUO  P’ING  FU  (shwo  pfng  fu'),  Chi.,  a city  in  N. 
Shansi,  230  miles  W.  of  Peking. 

SI-AN  FU  (si"-an-fu'),  Chi.,  the  ancient  of  western  capi- 
tal of  China,  600  miles  S.  W.  of  Peking;  also  called 
Ch’ang-an. 

SIGGIN  (sfg'-gm),  a telegraphic  error  for  Wiggin. 

SILESIA  (sai-li'-shl-a),  a. province  in  S.  E.  Prussia;  also 
one  in  N.  Austria. 

SI-NGAN  (si-ngan'),  the  same  as  Si-an  Fu. 

SI-NING  (si'-ning),  a small  city  in  N.  W.  Chihli,  80  miles 
S.  W.  of  Kalgan. 

SOCIETY  FOR  THE  PROPAGATION  OF  THE  GOS- 
PEL, an  Anglican  High-Church  missionary  society. 

SODERBOM,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carl  G.,  Swedish  missionaries 
of  the  Christian  Alliance,  who  escaped  to  Siberia  in  the 
Larson  caravan. 

“SON  OF  AN  EARTHEN  WELL,”  Chi.,  (t’u  ching' tzu), 
a village  10  miles  N.  W.  of  Kalgan. 

SOOK ! (suk) , Mon.,  the  word  used  in  commanding  a camel 
to  kneel  down. 

SPLINGARD  (spllng'-ard),  Mr.,  a German  merchant, 
who  became  a mandarin. 


Glossary 


385 


STALLYBRASS  (stal'-ly-brass),  Rev.  William,  a mis- 
sionary of  the  London  Mission  to  the  Buriats  in  Si- 
beria, and  translator  of  the  Mongolian  Bible. 

STENBERG  (sten'-berg),  Mr.  David,  a Swedish  mission- 
ary to  the  Mongols,  killed  by  the  Boxers  in  1900. 

“STONE  DRUMS,”  ten  stone  pillars  with  inscriptions  of 
King  Hsiian  (swen),  B.C.  827,  discovered  near  his 
capital  in  A.D.  600,  and  kept  in  the  Confucian  tem- 
ple at  Peking  since  the  year  1126.  They  are  28  inches 
in  diameter,  and  18  to  35  inches  high,  and  are  probably 
the  oldest  relics  of  Chinese  history. 

SSU-CHUAN  (s’-chwan'),  a large  province  in  W.  China, 
bordering  on  Tibet. 

SUAROFF  (su-ar'-off),  Mr.,  an  insolent  Siberian,  large 
and  rough-looking,  who  drives  tarantasses  between 
Kiachta  and  Lake  Baikal. 

SUBER  (su'-ber),  Mr.,  a Swedish  missionary  to  the  Mon- 
gols, killed  by  Boxers  in  1900. 

SUNG  dynasty  (sung),  the  dynasty  which  ruled  China  from 
960  to  1280  A.D. 

SUNG  (sung),  Mr.  John,  an  English-speaking  Chinese  Y. 
M.  C.  A.  worker  in  Tientsin. 

SUNIT  (su'-nft),  a tribe  of  Mongols  living  N.  of  the 
Chakhars. 

SUNITSON  (su-nit'-son),  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  Russian  friends 
in  Kiachta,  who  were  very  kind  to  the  Larson  caravan. 

SVENSKA  (sven'-ska),  Swed.  n.,  the  Swedish  language. 

SWAN,  Mr.  Edward,  a missionary  of  the  London  Mission 
to  the  Buriats  in  Siberia,  and  translator  of  the  Mongo- 
lian Bible. 


386 


Glossary 


TA  (da),  Chi.  adj.,  great. 

T’A  (ta),  Mon.  pron.  2nd  pers.,  you;  this  is  the  polite  or 
■honorific  term. 

TA  CH’ING  (da  chlng'),  Chi.,  the  Great  Pure  (i.  e.,  Man- 
chu)  dynasty. 

TAEL  (tal),  a Chinese  ounce  of  silver,  worth  about  62 
cents  U.  S.  gold. 

T’AI  HOU  (tai'  ho),  Chi.,  the  Empress  Dowager. 

T’AI  WU  (tai  wu'),  an  officer  of  the  Wei  kingdom,  es- 
tablished by  the  Huns.  The  records  of  his  travels,  A.D. 
424-451,  is  still  extant. 

TA-LA-TSIE  (da'-la-tsi-e),  the  Chinese  mispronunciation 
of  Daraji. 

TA-LI  FU  (da"-ll  fu'),  Chi.,  a large  city  in  Yunnan  prov- 
ince, S.  W.  China. 

TAMERLANE  (tam"-er-lan'),  fromTi"-mur-i-leng' ; also 
called  Ti'mur ; a Mongol  conqueror  in  S.  W.  Asia.  In 
1390  he  equipped  an  army  against  Toktamish,  ruler  of 
the  White  and  Golden  Hordes,  giving  each  man  “a 
bow  with  30  arrows,  a quiver  and  a buckler.  The 
army  was  mounted,  and  a spare  horse  was  supplied  for 
every  two  men,  while  a tent  was  furnished  for  every 
ten,  and  with  this  were  two  spades,  a pickaxe,  a sickle, 
a saw,  an  axe,  an  awl,  a hundred  needles,  8 1-2  pounds 
of  cord,  an  ox-hide,  and  a strong  pan.”  After  months 
of  weary  pursuit,  he  fought  Toktamish  three  days  in 
Bulgaria,  gained  a great  victory,  and  returned  to  Sam- 
arcand  with  the  spoils. 

TANAI  (ta'-nai),  Mon.  pron.  2nd  pers.  pos.,  thy,  thine, 
yours. 


Glossary 


3*7 

TANIGI  (ta'-nl-gl),  Mon.  pron.  2nd  pers.  obj.,  thee,  you. 

T’ANG  (tang),  Chi.,  the  dynasty  which  ruled  China  from 
618  to  913  A.  D. 

TAO  (dau),  Chi.  v.,  to  arrive  at,  to  come  to. 

T’AO  (tau),  Chi.  v.,  to  flee;  t’ao  ming,  to  flee  for  one’s 
life. 

TAOTAI  (dau'-tai),  Chi.,  a mandarin  of  high  rank,  the 
chief  governor  of  a department. 

TARANTASS  (tar"-an-tas'),  Rus.,  a large  covered  four- 
wheeled  vehicle  with  wooden  springs. 

TA  SHAO  YEH  (da  shau'  ye),  a Mongol  priest  and  friend 
of  the  Kalgan  missionaries. 

TA  SHE  T’AI  (da  she  tai'),  Chi.,  a military  camp  in  S. 
Mongolia,  N.  W.  of  Pao  T’ou. 

TATAR  (ta'-tar),  a general  term  for  Turks,  Cossacks, 
Mongols  and  Manchus. 

TA  T’UNG  FU  (da"  tung  fu'),  an  important  city  of  N. 
Shansi,  120  miles  W.  S.  W.  of  Kalgan. 

TEMUCHIN  (te-mu'-chin),  the  name  of  Genghis  Khan  in 
his  childhood,  commemorating  his  father’s  victory  over 
an  enemy  of  the  same  name. 

TERE  (te'-re),  Mon.  demonst.  pron.  that;  used  for  pers. 
pron.  3rd  pers.,  he,  she,  it,  and  other  forms. 

TERE  YAGONO  TOLA  HEMEBESU  (te'-re  ya"-go-no' 
to-la'  he-me-be'-su),  Mon.  conj.,  for. 

TERIGUNG  (te"-n-gung'),  Mon.  n.,  a divine  head. 

“THYME  HILL,”  a hill  one  mile  W.  of  Kalgan. 

TIBETAN  (tl'-bet-anf , pertaining  to  Tibet;  the  language 
or  religion  of  Tibet. 

T’lEN  CHING  (tlen'  jTng),  Chi.,  name  for  Tientsin. 


388 


Glossary 


T’lEN-KE-TAN-KOU  (tien"-ge-dan-go'),  Chi.,  a Roman 
Catholic  mission  station  in  S.  Mongolia,  where  the  Kui 
Hua  missionaries  were  killed  by  Boxers. 

TIEN-SHAN  (tfen-shan'),  Chi.,  the  “Heavenly  Mts.”,  a 
range  of  mountains  in  Ili,  on  the  N.  side  of  Eastern 
Turkestan. 

TIENTSIN  (tien-tsin'),  Chi.  (tien'-jlng),  the  chief  port  of 
N.  China. 

TIENTSIN  VOLUNTEERS,  a company  of  citizens  of  all 
nationalities  in  Tientsin,  who  armed  and  drilled  to  pro- 
tect the  foreign  settlement. 

TIMUR  (tl'-mur),  the  grandson  and  successor  of  Kublai 
Khan,  who  reigned  over  China  and  Mongolia  A.  D. 
1295-1308. 

T’ING  (ting),  Chi.,  a small  city  governed  by  a military  of- 
ficial, especially  near  the  frontiers  of  China  proper. 

TINI  (ti'-m),  Mon.  pron.  2nd  pers.  pos.,  thy,  thine,  yours. 

TODORA  (to'-do-ra),  Mon.  adv.,  in;  the  written  form  of 
dotora. 

TOGHON  TIMUR  (to'-gon  ti'-mur),  the  last  emperor  of 
the  Mongol  dynasty  in  China,  who  reigned  1333-1368. 

TOKTAMISH  (tok-ta'-mish),  an  enemy  of  the  White 
Horde,  who  conquered  both  it  and  the  Golden  Horde, 
but  was  vanquished  by  Tamerlane. 

TOLA  (to'-la),  Mon.,  a river  in  N.  Mongolia,  flowing  west- 
ward past  Urga  to  the  Orkhon  River. 

TOLOGAI  (to'-lo-gai),  Mon.  n.,  the  head. 

TORGOD  (tor'-god),  a tribe  of  Mongols,  who  emigrated 
from  Russia  to  Ili  in  1771  A.D. 

TONGKING  (tong'-klng),  the  N.  part  of  Annam,  now  a 
French  possession. 


Glossary 


389 


TOTO  (to'-to  or  to'-to-cheng) , a city  by  the  Yellow 
River,  S.  W.  of  Kui  Hua  Ch’eng. 

T’OU  T’AI  (to'-tai),  the  “First  Stage”  on  the  official 
route  to  Kiachta,  a temple  and  a Mongol  village  28 
miles  N.  of  Kalgan. 

TRANSBAIKALI,  an  error  for  (trans"-bai-ka'-li-o),  a 
province  of  Siberia,  E.  of  Lake  Baikal. 

TROITS  KOSAVSKI  (troits"  ko-sav'-sk!) , Rus.,  the 
northern  and  most  populous  part  of  Kiachta. 

TROITSKOSAWASK,  an  error  for  the  preceding. 

T (talz),  the  sign  for  taels;  see  TAEL. 

TSA-CHIA  (dza'-jlo),  Chi.  pers.  pron.  pos.,  our,  ours. 

TS’AO  CHOU  FU  (tsau"-jo  fu'),  Chi.,  a large  city  in  S. 
W.  Shantung,  315  miles  S.  of  Peking. 

TSO  (dzo'-a),  a Chi.  numerative,  not  translatable  into  Eng- 
lish ; the  same  as  “piecee”  in  Pigeon-English. 

TSUN  HL^A  (dzun'-hwa),  Chi.  a city  100  miles  E.  N.  E. 
of  Peking,  a mission  station  of  the  American  Meth- 
odists. 

TU  (do),  Chi.  adj.,  all. 

TUERIN  (tu-er'-in),  a telegraph  station  E.  of  Mt.  Chwerin 
in  N.  Mongolia,  147  miles  S.  E.  of  Urga. 

TUNG  CHING  TZU  (dung-jmg'-z’),  a market  town  in  N. 
Shansi,  90  miles  S.  W.  of  Kalgan. 

TUNGCHO  (tung'-jo),  Chi.,  a city  13  miles  E.  of  Peking, 
at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Pei  Ho. 

TUNG  FU  HSIANG  (dung"-fu-siang'),  a Chinese  gen- 
eral; the  fiercest  hater  of  foreigners;  defeated  in  the 
Boxer  war. 

TUNGUS  (tung'-gus),  a general  term,  including  a number 
of  Mongol  tribes. 


39° 


Glossary 


TURANIAN  (tu-ra'  nl-on),  a family  of  agglutinative 
languages  of  Asiatic  origin,  now  preferably  called  Ural- 
Altaic. 

TURKESTAN  (tur"-kes-tan'),  the  S.  W.  portion  of  Rus- 
sian Asia.  E.  Turkestan  is  the  S.  part  of  Ili,  or  W. 
end  of  Chinese  Tatary. 

TUTUNG  (du'-tung),  a Manchu  general;  the  one  in  Kal- 
gan  governs  the  Manchus  in  that  city  and  the  Chakhar 
Mongols. 

UIGUR  (wi-gur'),  an  ancient  tribe  of  Mongols  in  N.  Mon- 
golia, see  Note,  bottom  p.  165. 

UIGURIAN  (wl-gu'-rl-an),  of  or  pertaining  to  the  Uigurs; 
as,  the  Uigurian  language. 

ULEMI  (u"-le-mi'),  Mon.  n.,  the  divine  feet. 

ULIASSUTAI  (u"-ll-as'-su-tai),  Mon.,  “Poplar  Grove,” 
a city  in  N.  Mongolia,  600  miles  W.  of  Urga. 

UFA  (u'-fa),  a city  in  E.  Russia. 

UPPER  CITY,  the  N.  portion  of  Kalgan,  which  is  two 
cities  in  one,  or  one  shaped  like  an  hour-glass. 

“UPSTELLNING !”  (up-stel'-nlng),  Swed.  v.  imper.,  “At- 
tention !” 

URGA  (ur'-ga),  the  chief  city  of  N.  Mongolia;  pop.  30.000. 

USBEG  (us'-beg),  a king  of  the  Golden  Horde,  1313-1340 
A.D. 

UST-KIACHTA  (ust"-k!-ak'-ta),  Rus.,  East  Kiachta,  a 
small  town  half  a day’s  distance  by  tarantass  N.  W. 
from  Kiachta. 


VAU  (vau),  the  Hebrew  letter  for  o or  u. 


Glossary 


391 


VERKNI  MISHIBA  (verk'-nl  ml'-shl-ba),  Rus.,  a me- 
teorological observatory  on  a mountain  pass  E.  of  Lake 
Baikal. 

VERST  (verst),  a Russian  measure  of  distance,  equal  to 
.66  mile,  or  about  3500  Eng.  ft. 

VON  GROTE  (von  grot'),  Mr.,  the  head  of  a Russian 
mining  company,  Urga  and  Kiachta. 

WAN  (wan),  Chi.  v.,  to  end,  to  finish. 

WEI  (wa),  Chi.,  the  name  of  a kingdom  established  by  the 
Huns  in  W.  China,  A.D.  265. 

WILLIAMS  HALL,  a large  dormitory  of  the  North  China 
College,  Tungcho,  named  after  its  chief  donor,  Dr.  S. 
Wells  Williams. 

WILLIAMS  MT.,  a mountain  close  to  Kalgan  on  the  N. 
E.,  1800  feet  above  the  city,  and  4500  feet  above  the 
sea ; called  by  the  Chinese  Fish  Mt.  and  Eastern  Peace. 

WILLIAMS,  REV.  MARK,  a missionary  of  the  American 
Board,  who  has  lived  in  Kalgan  since  1867. 

WHITE  CITY,  a ruined  city  40  miles  N.  W.  of  Kalgan. 

WHITE  HORDE,  a tribe  of  Mongols  also  called  Eastern 
Kipchaks,  who  sacked  Moscow  in  1382,  and  were  re- 
peatedly defeated  by  Tamerlane  in  1390-1398  A.D. 

WIGGIN,  MR.  F.  H.,  Treasurer  of  the  American  Board, 
Boston,  Mass.,  U.  S.  A. 

WRIGHT.  REV.  DR.  G.  FREDERICK,  a clergyman,  ge- 
ologist and  aijthor;  specialty,  glaciers. 

WU-LA-BA-LAO  (wu"-la-ba-lau'),  a small  place  20  miles 
N.  W.  of  Kui  Hua  Ch’eng. 

WU  T’AI,  same  as  the  next. 


392 


Glossary 


WU  T’AI  SHAN  (wu"  tai  shan'),  Chi.  “Five  Terrace  Mt.”, 
a mountain  in  N.  E.  Shansi,  260  miles  W.  S.  W.  of 
Peking;  there  are  many  temples,  and  the  place  is  the 
Mecca  of  the  Mongols. 

YA  (ya),  Rus.  pron.  1st  pers.,  I. 

YA  (ya),  Chi.,  the  name  of  a widow,  who  sent  her  servants 
to  loot  the  homes  of  missionaries  at  Olan  Bar. 

YAITSI  (yai'-tsi),  Rus.  n.,  eggs. 

YAKUT  (ya-kut'),  a portion  of  the  Turkish  race,  living  in 
the  valley  of  the  Lena  River,  E.  Siberia ; their  language. 

YAMEN  (ya-men),  Chi.  n.,  the  residence  or  office  of  a 
Chinese  mandarin. 

YATARAWA  (ya'-ta-ra-wa),  a Mongol  camel-driver  em- 
ployed by  Mr.  Larson. 

YEH  (ye),  Chi.  conj.,  also. 

“YELLOW  BLOSSOM  PLAIN,”  a village  where  robbery 
is  common,  18  miles  N.  W.  of  Kalgan ; named  from  the 
eschscholtzias  which  abound  there  in  the  summer. 

YERMAK  (yer'-mak),  ( —1583).  a Cossack  chief, 

who  conquered  Siberia. 

YENESEI  (yen"-f-sa'T),  Rus.,  one  of  the  chief  rivers  of 
Siberia. 

YEN  SHENG  HO  (yen  sheng  he),  Chi.,  a small  place  5 
miles  N.  of  Olan  Bar.  in  S.  Mongolia. 

YESUKAI  (ye-su'-kai),  Mon.,  the  father  of  Genghis  Khan. 

YING  CHOU  (yTng'-jo),  Chi.,  a city  of  N.  Shansi,  200 
miles  W.  of  Peking. 

YISSUN  TIMUR  (yls'-sun  ti'-mur),  a Mongol  emperor 
ruling  China,  A.  D.  1324-1328.  He  divided  China  into 
18  provinces 


Glossary 


393 


YODH  (yodh),  Heb.,  a letter  denoting  i. 

YU  (yo),  Chi.  v.,  there  is,  there  are,  one  has. 

YUAN  (yiien'),  Chi.  adv.,  far,  from  afar. 

YUAN  DYNASTY  (yiien'),  Chi.  adj.,  “Original;”  the 
dynasty  established  in  China  by  Genghis  Khan,  1260- 
1368  A.D. 

YUCHO  (yii'-jo),  Chi.,  a city  80  miles  S.  of  Kalgan. 

YUHSIEN  (yii  sein'),  the  governor  of  Shansi  in  1900; 
one  of  the  fiercest  and  bloodiest  of  the  Boxers. 

YU  LU  (yii'  lu),  Chi.,  the  governor  of  Chihli  in  1900. 

YULUN  (yu'-lun),  Mon.,  the  mother  of  Genghis  Khan, 
who  was  quite  a warrior  herself. 

YUNNAN  (yiin'-nan),  Chi.,  “The  Cloudy  South;”  the 
S.  W.  province  of  China  Proper. 

YUN  TING  MEN  (yiin'-dmg-men),  Chi.,  the  S.  gate  of 
the  southern  or  Chinese  city  of  Peking. 

YUN  TING  MUN,  an  error  for  the  preceding. 

YU  YU  (yii  yii),  Chi.,  see  Yii  Hsien  and  Yii  Lu. 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Agate,  158 

Altai  Mountains,  261 

Ament,  Dr.  William  S.,  19,  31,  33 

Andrews,  Miss,  24 

Amur,  238,  289 

Argol,  128,  163,  170,  177,  183 


Baikal,  Lake,  261,  303,  305,  306 
Bible,  Mongolian,  301 
Bingmark,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  124 
Bonnie,  295 

Boxers,  7,  10,  17,  54,  98,  117,  124,  175,  244,  280,— charms, 
14,  15,  17;  drill,  1 17 ; history  of,  8,  II ; placards,  7, 
14,  281. 

Buddha,  Living,  179,  180,  181,  182,  245,  261 
Buddhism,  186—203 
Buddhist  Scriptures,  202 
Burmah,  227 


Camels,  106,  131,  157,  162,  170,  171,  172,  184,  262,  265; 

lost.  121 ; sewing  up  foot,  156 
Carts,  Chinese,  144 
Chapin,  Miss,  24 
Clark,  Rev.  F.  E.,  19 
Christian  Endeavor,  19 
Conger,  Minister,  29,  31 

Converts,  Courage  of,  1 16 ; faithful,  18,  101,  1 13,  175;  scat- 
tered, 42 


397 


398 


Index 


Conscience,  A Case  of,  21 
Cossacks,  26,  260,  261 


Dietrick,  J.,  243,  250,  291,  292 


Empress  Dowager,  10 
Engh,  Miss,  43,  44,  55,  297 


Face,  Saving  the,  41,  175 
Fagerholm,  Rev.  Mr.,  123,  144.  168,  264 
Foreigners,  Hatred  of,  12;  massacre  of,  34 
Friedstrom,  Rev.  Mr.,  257,  258,  259 
Funeral,  a Chinese,  15 


Genghis  Khan,  214 — 219 
Germans  in  China,  8 
Gilmour,  James,  55,  104 

Gobi,  Desert  of,  30,  116,  126 — 179,  144.  236,  259 
Gombo,  127 

Goodrich,  Dr.  C.,  23,  29 


Hail,  172 

Honesty  of  Chinese  Bankers,  in 


Independence  Day  in  the  Desert,  128 

Irkutsk,  292,  306 

Indemnity,  17 

Ingram,  Dr.  J.  H.,  24,  29 


Japan,  227 
Jung  Lu,  7 


Index 


399 


Kalgan,  28,  32,  33.  35,  39,  40,  61,  106,  no,  116,  175 
Kiachta,  251,  253,  260,  264,  265,  269 — 271,  274 
Kublai  Khan,  186,  225 — 228 

Lamas,  167,  194,  195,  197,  198,  199,  230,  236,  254 
Larson,  Rev.  Mr.,  44,  56,  98,  99,  100,  102,  103,  106,  120,  121, 
123,  124,  130,  131,  144,  149,  150,  151,  152,  161,  163, 
167,  170,  174,  180,  246,  247,  254,  257,  264,  270,  279, 
296,  300,  330 

Larson,  Mrs.,  103,  105,  292 
Lundquist,  Rev.  Mr.,  39,  44,  137,  151,  161 

Madagascar,  227 
Manchuria,  320 
McKee,  116,  117 
Marco  Polo,  227 
Marines,  United  States,  27 
Methodists,  American,  34 

Missionaries,  murder  of,  27,  117,  124,  259,  292;  precau- 
tions, 17;  trials  of,  121,  258 
Mobs,  42,  46 

Mongols,  appetite,  155;  drunkenness,  88;  English  mis- 
sionaries to,  301;  food,  74;  funerals,  93;  history 
214;  hospitality,  82;  lamas,  167,  236;  language, 
204 — 213;  manufactures,  240;  midsummer  festivals, 
94;  pilgrimages,  95;  religion,  186 — 203;  schools, 

241 ; soldiers,  143 ; wedding,  91 ; women,  79,  80 
Mongolia— birds,  60,  61 ; Boxers  in,  54 ; celibacy,  236 ; 
customs,  81 ; fair,  248 ; flowers,  57,  169 ; great 
wall,  61;  horses,  83,  84;  inscriptions,  174;  life 
in,  67;  making  change,  165;  mountains,  239;  riv- 
ers, 238;  temples,  141,  167;  tea,  74;  travel,  83; 
wolves,  86 

Nastegard,  Rev.  O.  S.,  197,  243,  247,  263,  269,  270,  271,  272, 
273,  275,  279,  281,  290,  300,  301,  304,  31 1,  329,  330 


400 


Index 


Oberg,  Rev.  Mr.,  126,  143,  174,  254,  264 

Oberg,  Mrs.,  121 

Oghotai  (Ogdai)  219 — 221 


Paotingfu,  34,  45,  329 
Patricide,  22 

Peking,  31,  35,  36,  37,  45,  107,  108,  153,  225,  226,  229 

Petrified  Wood,  158 

Pitkin,  Rev.  H.  T.,  34 

Prayer  Wheels,  200 

Providence,  124 


Railroad,  Chinese,  31 

Revival,  20 

Roads,  22 

Roberts,  Rev.  James  H., — in  T’ungcho,  25 ; in  Peking,  31 ; 
leaves  Peking,  35;  at  Kalgan,  39;  escapes  from 
Kalgan,  46;  in  Mongolia,  50;  preparing  the  cara- 
van, 98;  returns  to  Kalgan,  114;  start  of  caravan, 
1 18;  a committee  on  good  cheer,  135;  singing  in 
the  desert,  136;  treasurer,  136;  inspector,  136;  dif- 
ficulties of  travel  160;  cook,  171,  266;  telegraphs 
from  Urga,  249 

Roman  Catholics,  27,  98,  113,  228 

Russia, — conquered  by  Mongols,  220;  dissenting  sects, 
321 ; religion  318 

Russians,  Kindness  of,  168,  243,  251,  253.  269,  279,  280, 
286.  290,  291 

Russians,  116,  163,  168,  175,  178,  179,  182,  315 — 323 


Salt  Marsh,  149 

Sandberg,  Mr.,  121,  171,  177,  184,  266 
St.  Petersburg,  328 
Sheffield,  D.  Z„  23 

Siberia,  243 — 260; — dislike  for  England  and  Japan, , 293; 


Index 


401 


extortion,  304,  311;  food,  311 ; freedom  in,  285;  fron- 
tier, 269,  279 — 281 ; hotels,  282,  304 ; market,  294 ; 
railway,  305,  306,  309,  31 1,  312;  scenery,  302; 
schools,  293 

Smith,  Dr.  A.  H.,  26,  122 
Sdderbom,  Rev.  Mr.,  35,  44,  144 
Soderbom,  Mrs.,  144,  286 
Spirits,  Appeasing  the,  201 

Sprague,  Rev.  Mr.,  28,  32,  41,  43,  44,  48,  110,  in,  113,  114, 
1 18,  288,  295,  296 
Sprague,  Mrs.,  171,  288 
Suber,  Rev.  Mr.,  258,  259 
Sunitson,  Rev.  Mr.,  290 


Tarantass,  300 
Tea,  241,  Mongol,  174 
Telegraph  Line,  133,  140 
Telescope,  Mistaken  for  Gun,  25 
Temple,  Mongol,  141,  167 
Tewksbury,  Rev.  E.  G.,  29,  108,  109 
Tientsin,  26,  31 
Timur,  228 

T’ungcho,  21,  22,  23,  25,  45 
Turks,  212 

Ural  Mountains,  313 

Urga,  179,  197,  243,  244,  245—260,  270 

Von  Ketteler,  35 

Walker,  Miss  Jane,  290 
Wells,  124,  131,  143,  151,  158 
Wiggin,  Frank  H.,  288 

Williams,  Rev.  Mark,  32,  35,  43,  160,  163,  182,  261,  286,  288, 
296 


402 


I ndex 


Williams,  Dr.  S.  Wells,  24 
Wright,  Rev.  G.  Frederick,  19,  292 
Wyckoff.  the  Misses,  29 


Yacobson  Rev.  Mr.,  143 
Yacobson,  Mrs.  121 
Yatarawa,  172 
Yellow  River,  230.  238 
Yermak,  307 


Date  Due 

PRINTED 

IN  U.  S.  A. 

